History of the question mark

[dbox]

The question mark (?) as a shortcut for the PRINT statement was first introduced in Microsoft BASIC. This feature became widely recognized and used in various implementations of Microsoft BASIC, including:

1. Altair BASIC (1975): One of the earliest versions of Microsoft BASIC, where this shortcut likely appeared.
   
2. BASIC-80: Also known as MBASIC, used on the CP/M operating system.
   
3. Commodore BASIC (1977): Based on Microsoft BASIC, used in Commodore computers like the PET, VIC-20, and Commodore 64.
   

The use of the question mark as a shorthand for the PRINT statement was popularized through these versions of BASIC, making it a common feature in many early personal computers that used Microsoft BASIC derivatives.

... or at least that's what ChatGPT thinks.