Basic Programming

[Lobster]

My first attempts to do something for the Linux community was in the language XBasic. I tried to develop a program called ALMS. Of course I had to learn to program. I am very glad I choose a very stable and fast language called XBasic. XBasic is a complete environment able to run the same code in Linux and Windows.

I spent about a month developing code on Knoppix swapping into Windows but eventually finished and created the code to run on Windows which I was more familiar with.

Maybe Puppy will allow me to finalise the Linux version. To my amazement, my Windows code required only the change of two lines of commented out code to be reintroduced and was running. See pic.

My program will not be as tight or compact as those writing in C or Tcl (it has to include a large run time) but at least Puppy has given me the confidence to BELIEVE I can finish this program in Linux.

I am a Puppy and I am Happy. Puppy Rocks!

[JohnMurga]

Cool, how big is the run-time just out of interest ?

Cheers
JohnM

[Lobster]

dunno

- the situation freaked me out because I seem to remember it was 3.5 meg

BUT the windows runtime is recorded as 1.5 meg but with UPX it is about 350k XBasic contains ALL its own libraries it would work on any Linux. So with some UPX compression it could end up any size . . .

Xbasic code is very fast - as fast as C for most things
but the code is easier and more structured and more like BASIC

It is an odd language that is gaining popularity. There is a Windows variant called Xblite - but I prefer the Linux/Windows older version . . . coz I can work on two OS

The language is ready for 64 Bit and on WIndows works from Windows 3.11 - right through to Blackcomb - because it carries its own environment in the runtime dll - not bad for something created in 1988 with a visual programming environment BEFORE others such as VB made them popular