What is "bsave"

A BSAVE Image (aka "BSAVED Image") as it is referenced in a graphics program is an image file format created usually by saving raw video memory to disk (sometimes but not always in a BASIC program using the BSAVE command).

The BASIC BSAVE command is a general command meant for dumping ranges of memory addresses to disk. Data could be recalled using the counterpart BLOAD command. Some platforms provided a BRUN command that would immediately execute the loaded RAM image.

BSAVE was in general use as a file format when the IBM PC was introduced. It was also in general use on the Apple II in the same time period. Although the commands were available on the Commodore PET line, they were removed from the later (and more popular) Commodore 64 and VIC-20 computers. In 1985 the Commodore 128 was released with Commodore BASIC version 7.0 which restored the BSAVE and BLOAD commands.

On the IBM, BSaved graphics and text images could be created for any video mode, with more complexity for the newer modes. On the Apple II and Commodore 128 BSaved Graphics were generally all that was used.