This manual is the student's main source of information about the BASIC Instructional Program (BIP), a "hands-on laboratory" that teaches elementary programming in the BASIC language, which has been converted into MAINSAIL, a language designed for portability on a broad class of computers. The manual is organized as a reference document for students with no previous programming experience. Three major sections contain (1) an introduction to the course; (2) an explanation of general programming, discussions of programming concepts such as input and variables, and the specification of the BASIC statements used to implement these concepts, with the syntax and sample programs; and (3) a list and explanation of the commands that control the BIP system, some of which are identical to standard BASIC commands (e.g., RUN, LIST) while others give access to the unique features of BIP. A glossary is appended which lists all the specialized terms used in the manual, explains their use briefly, and gives references to the sections where detailed information can be found. (Author/CMV)