Any Basic language programmers here ?

[Modelworks]

I catch a lot of flack for programming in Basic, all the usual stuff about it not being a real language. Sometimes I don't want to deal with pointers and complex code, not that Basic can't get complicated, just sometimes it is easier to get things done.


So what are your favorite implementations of the Basic language ?

PowerBasic - been around a long time, used it a lot , but the price is a bit high.
http://www.powerbasic.com/

Liberty Basic - also been around long, 14 years ! Cheap as well at $59.
I haven't used it all that much, but I do like what I see.
http://www.libertybasic.com/

PureBasic - The one I use more than any other because of its cross platform nature. One fee of $115 and you get support for all the platforms, mac,linux,win and updates for free forever. They still give free updates to people from 10 years ago. All executeables are self contained, so no need for runtimes or other DLL.
http://www.purebasic.com/


embedded Micros
Proton PicBasic - Really hard to beat for working with pic micros. If you get the suite you can wire up virtual devices and test code without ever having to program the actual micro.
http://www.picbasic.org/proton_development_suite.php

 

[Markbnj]

Well if BASIC isn't a real language then where does that leave Javascript, php, python, etc.?

I learned on BASIC and have used PowerBasic, other than that I really don't know what is the leading implementation these days.

 

[DaveSimmons]

My first PC was a TRS-80 model 1 with the optional "advanced" MS BASIC 12K ROM and massive 16K RAM for programs and data

I used Microsoft's Basic PDS for a couple of years at my first job after college, before we switched to C and then C++ & MFC, it was a decent development environment for DOS programs.

I've used VB6 a little bit, but for quick apps I usually make a dialog-based C++/MFC app instead. Our main applications are all C++/MFC so it's easiest to stick with it for them instead of using .Net

 

[troytime]

i learned BASIC when i was about 7, then mastered it when i was 16.
I'd love to program in it again, but i'm not sure what all those variants and stuff are.

 

[Markbnj]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
My first PC was a TRS-80 model 1 with the optional "advanced" MS BASIC 12K ROM and massive 16K RAM for programs and data

I used Microsoft's Basic PDS for a couple of years at my first job after college, before we switched to C and then C++ & MFC, it was a decent development environment for DOS programs.

I've used VB6 a little bit, but for quick apps I usually make a dialog-based C++/MFC app instead. Our main applications are all C++/MFC so it's easiest to stick with it for them instead of using .Net

I did a lot on TRS-80s back in the early 80's. That might have been the first micro I worked with (I learned BASIC on an HP-3000 mainframe). Later I had a Color Computer with 16k and a cassette reader, but that was my last Radio Shack machine. Too bad there isn't a BASIC interpreter in ROM on the PC motherboard anymore .

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: Markbnj
Well if BASIC isn't a real language then where does that leave Javascript, php, python, etc.?

Isn't it interpreted rather than compiled these days? If that's the case then PHP and Python are far superior.

Javascript of course is shockingly bad - you call that OOP?

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: Atheus

Originally posted by: Markbnj
Well if BASIC isn't a real language then where does that leave Javascript, php, python, etc.?

Isn't it interpreted rather than compiled these days? If that's the case then PHP and Python are far superior.

Javascript of course is shockingly bad - you call that OOP?

Of the ones I posted only liberty basic is interpreted. The rest are compiled.

 

[GundamSonicZeroX]

Originally posted by: Atheus
Javascript of course is shockingly bad - you call that OOP?

What's wrong with JavaScript? Also, who calls JavaScript OOP? It's a scripting language.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: troytime
i learned BASIC when i was about 7, then mastered it when i was 16.
I'd love to program in it again, but i'm not sure what all those variants and stuff are.

You can download power basic or pure basic , they both have demos. The limits in the demos are program size if I recall right. Neither requires installing lots of extra stuff like installing visual studio . Very compact. Another reason I like them.

 

[Schadenfroh]

QBasic was my first language back in junior high school. Did not learn another until C++ in college. If I wanted to go back, I would probably get familiar with GPL FreeBASIC.

 

[WildW]

I used an older version of Blitz Basic a few years back that I liked. It has that nice draw-to-the-screen feel that makes it really easy to make silly little games, and the executables it made ran on everything I tried from XP back to Windows 98 and NT4.

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: GundamSonicZeroX

Originally posted by: Atheus
Javascript of course is shockingly bad - you call that OOP?

What's wrong with JavaScript? Also, who calls JavaScript OOP? It's a scripting language.

It uses objects to manipulate the document tree

document.getElementByID("foo").doSomething();

but then fails miserably to let me create and manipulate my own objects.

class, extends, interface, public, protected ...

People want these highly complex AJAX apps but the code ends up being one huge file containing 20,000 lines of barely readable rubbish, half of which is just workarounds for various bugs in different browser implementations.