mdf@osu-eddie.UUCP (Mark D. Freeman) (01/09/86)
I do all my development using the IBM BASIC Compiler v2.0. The software I write (psuedo-database and accounting) is reasonably fast, easy to maintain, and easy to write. And, folks pay $$$ for it. A programmer I know says that the code I write using the new IBM BASIC Compiler looks like PASCAL without all the semicolons. I understand that Microsoft's QuikBASIC (sp?) is almost identical (except that I can write bigger programs with less data and Microsoft allows smaller programs with more data), except for the $300 price difference in their favor. On the other hand, I get ISAM with mine. Global and local variables, common variable areas, callable subprograms, no line numbers, and many other things make this a real language. If anyone who wishes to throw stones at the old BASIC Compiler, I'll join you. But reserve judgement on the new one until you play with it yourself! -- <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mark D. Freeman Guest account at The Ohio State University StrongPoint Systems, Inc. mdf@osu-eddie.UUCP 209 Olentangy Street Mdf@Ohio-State.CSNET Columbus, OH 43202-2340 Mdf%Ohio-State@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA !cbosgd!osu-eddie!mdf I disclaim even my very existance. "This must be one of those gay-arab-biker-shushi bars!" -- Protocol <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
jmsellens@watmath.UUCP (John M Sellens) (01/10/86)
In article <1096@osu-eddie.UUCP> mdf@osu-eddie.UUCP (Mark D. Freeman) writes: >I do all my development using the IBM BASIC Compiler v2.0. > >Global and local variables, common variable areas, callable subprograms, no >line numbers, and many other things make this a real language. This does indeed sound like something that you can actually program with. But your code is not at all portable, and you've cut yourself off from a potentially much larger, and more interesting market. (Of course, that's your choice to make, to concentrate on the IBM PC market.) We have a very large program for PC's that will go commercial this year and was written in Pascal. We converted to C, rather than using BASIC, Pascal, Modula-2, etc. because it is portable. Even if the libraries provided by different compilers on different machines have different routines, calling sequences, etc., we can still keep all our code in the same files, using #ifdef's etc., and so one machine's version can't be out of date with respect to the others. I know of no other widely available language that will allow us to do this. Sure, C has problems, but with the Waterloo-fixed lint, it works well for us. John UUCP: {decvax|utzoo|ihnp4|allegra|clyde}!watmath!jmsellens CSNET: jmsellens%watmath@waterloo.csnet ARPA: jmsellens%watmath%waterloo.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa
mdf@osu-eddie.UUCP (Mark D. Freeman) (01/10/86)
> >I do all my development using the IBM BASIC Compiler v2.0. > > > >Global and local variables, common variable areas, callable subprograms, no > >line numbers, and many other things make this a real language. > > This does indeed sound like something that you can actually program with. > But your code is not at all portable, and you've cut yourself off from > a potentially much larger, and more interesting market. (Of course, that's > your choice to make, to concentrate on the IBM PC market.) Well, my hope is that someday Microsoft will release a XENIX version of this compiler. I do 85% of my work for the PC market and I haven't learned C yet, so this seems a reasonable solution. (I just heard that dBase III has been release for minis and mainframes, so I may look into that, but that is only for really simple things.) Microsoft has an ancient MBASIC and BASCOM for the Altos 586, but I don't know who did the port. Perhaps Altos will port the new BASCOM/QuickBASIC for them... If anyone has any info or rumors about this, please pass them along to me! -- <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mark D. Freeman Guest account at The Ohio State University StrongPoint Systems, Inc. mdf@osu-eddie.UUCP 209 Olentangy Street Mdf@Ohio-State.CSNET Columbus, OH 43202-2340 Mdf%Ohio-State@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA !cbosgd!osu-eddie!mdf I disclaim even my very existance. "This must be one of those gay-arab-biker-shushi bars!" -- Protocol <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
holland@psuvax1.UUCP (Fred Hollander) (01/12/86)
> > Global and local variables, common variable areas, callable subprograms, no > line numbers, and many other things make this a real language. If anyone who > wishes to throw stones at the old BASIC Compiler, I'll join you. But reserve > judgement on the new one until you play with it yourself! > > StrongPoint Systems, Inc. mdf@osu-eddie.UUCP Doesn't sound like BASIC anymore! Maybe it is a decent programming language :-) Fred Hollander Penn State
bhayes@glacier.ARPA (Barry Hayes) (01/16/86)
Alrighty. Time to plug. True BASIC, from True BASIC, Inc, is a right nice BASIC which follows the proposed ANSI standard and runs on the IBM PC, the Mac, some WANG box, and will be out soon on the Amiga, I hear. It has many of the nice features mentioned, like subroutines, graphics, program structures [if-then-else/do-while...], real variable names and transportablity across many machines. It is also fast to run and compiles quite compactly. It's a good product, and they don't pay me any money to say so. Check it out... True BASIC, Inc 39 South Main St Hanover, NH 03755 (603)643-3882 Founded by Kemeny & Kurtz, who brought you BASIC the first time... I hear they'll be at the Mac convention in SF, and cripple versions will be available for the Mac. -Barry Hayes
rjd@faron.UUCP (Robert DeBenedictis) (01/16/86)
In article <3205@glacier.ARPA> bhayes@glacier.UUCP (Barry Hayes) writes: >Alrighty. Time to plug. True BASIC, from True BASIC, Inc, is a right >nice BASIC which follows the proposed ANSI standard and runs on the >IBM PC, the Mac, some WANG box, and will be out soon on the Amiga, I >hear. .... > ..... >I hear they'll be at the Mac convention in SF, and cripple versions >will be available for the Mac. > > -Barry Hayes I am just curious what you mean hear by "cripple versions".
mykes@3comvax.UUCP (Mike Schwartz) (01/18/86)
My $.02: Microsoft Basic deserves a lot of credit. Compiled Microsoft basic programs can be run on all those millions of IBM PCs and clones. Microsoft has had many years to do their Basic, and have the technology down to the point where an IBM AT running interpreted basic is fast, and compiled basic is real fast. Developing software using the interpretter is easy, and the slow compilation process is removed from the edit-assemble-debug cycle. Microsoft Basic is written in assembler, and has been refined over many years, with the resources of Microsoft. And there is a subset of Microsoft basic that is portable among the IBM PC, APPLE II, COMMODORE 64, and a few MILLION other computers that dominate the marketplace. Microsoft Basic isfar from being the operating system language by any stretch of the imagination, but applications can be generated faster than 'C' applications, and by less skilled people. Basic has many powerful features and can be used by skilled people to do some pretty great things.