[comp.sys.next] BASIC for NeXT?

cyliao@hardy.u.washington.edu (Chun-Yao Liao) (11/16/90)

In article <1990Nov13.054856.2988@utstat.uucp> philip@utstat.uucp (Philip McDunnough) writes:
>
>By the way: Is there a Basic for the NeXT?

Sort of.  There is a BASIC that comes a s an example of p2c translator.
I guess it was a BASIC system written in pascal. The p2c translate the
pascal source to C and compile it with cc.  Anyway, I didn't do any 
"intensive" test to see if it's a "full" functionning BASIC, but I
tried some simple program, and it worked.

p2c can be downloaded from one of the popular next ftp site.



cyliao@wam.umd.edu     		o NeXT :  I put main frame power on two chips.
      @epsl.umd.edu		o people: We put main flame power on two guys.
      @bagend.eng.umd.edu       o ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
 xxxxx@xxxxx.xxx.xxx (reserved)	o RC + Apple // + Classic Music + NeXT = cyliao

cerberus@caen.engin.umich.edu (R Eric Bennett) (11/16/90)

In article <11220@milton.u.washington.edu> cyliao@hardy.acs.washington.edu (Chun-Yao Liao) writes:
>In article <1990Nov13.054856.2988@utstat.uucp> philip@utstat.uucp (Philip McDunnough) writes:
>>
>>By the way: Is there a Basic for the NeXT?
>
>Sort of.  There is a BASIC that comes a s an example of p2c translator.
>I guess it was a BASIC system written in pascal. The p2c translate the
>pascal source to C and compile it with cc.  Anyway, I didn't do any 
>"intensive" test to see if it's a "full" functionning BASIC, but I
>tried some simple program, and it worked.

The only problem I have with this is why would you want to translate?
If you are going to translate BASIC to Pascal and then to C, you kind of miss
the point of BASIC anyway (or one of the main points).  BASIC is interepreted
(usually).  No compile time. And you know where your errors are with your
code because it hangs at a specific, and known, line.  Translating to Pascal
preserves none of this.

Learning Pascal after using BASIC is not hard.  Particularly since Pascal 
supports "goto".  The big step is learning to define type your variables.
And if you're not going to have that comfy interpreted environment, then 
you might as well learn Pascal.  Another nice feature of BASIC is not having
type your variables, something else that can't be preserved when translating
to Pascal.

My purpose is not to flame.  Chun-Yao wanted to know if there was BASIC on the
NeXT.  Philip told him the closest thing he knew that ws available.  My purpose
is to point out that the solution just doesn't cut (in my own eyes).  To get
a debugged BASIC program ported, this solution would be great.  But developing
programs in BASIC, this solution just doesn't cut it.  The developer might as
well learn Pascal.  It doesn't take that long to learn how to do BASICy things
in Pascal.


Eric Bennett

garnett@cs.utexas.edu (John William Garnett) (11/16/90)

In article <1990Nov16.061450.6894@engin.umich.edu> cerberus@caen.engin.umich.edu (R Eric Bennett) writes:
>In article <11220@milton.u.washington.edu> cyliao@hardy.acs.washington.edu (Chun-Yao Liao) writes:
>>In article <1990Nov13.054856.2988@utstat.uucp> philip@utstat.uucp (Philip McDunnough) writes:
>>>By the way: Is there a Basic for the NeXT?
>>Sort of.  There is a BASIC that comes a s an example of p2c translator.
>>I guess it was a BASIC system written in pascal. The p2c translate the
>>pascal source to C and compile it with cc.  Anyway, I didn't do any 
>
>The only problem I have with this is why would you want to translate?
>If you are going to translate BASIC to Pascal and then to C, you kind of miss
>the point of BASIC anyway (or one of the main points).  BASIC is interepreted
>(usually).  No compile time. And you know where your errors are with your
>code because it hangs at a specific, and known, line.  Translating to Pascal
>preserves none of this.



No one ever said the Pascal program translated BASIC into Pascal.  I suspect
that the Pascal program in question is a BASIC interpreter.  If this is the
case, then the translated C version of the Pascal program would also be a
BASIC interpreter.  In either case, I doubt that the BASIC is being translated
into Pascal and then into C before being compiled and run.  However, I could
be incorrect.  Does anyone have instructions for obtaining a copy of this program
so that one can see for oneself :-)?



-- 
John Garnett
                              University of Texas at Austin
garnett@cs.utexas.edu         Department of Computer Science
                              Austin, Texas

cerberus@caen.engin.umich.edu (R Eric Bennett) (11/16/90)

In article <1990Nov16.061450.6894@engin.umich.edu> cerberus@caen.engin.umich.edu (R Eric Bennett) writes:
>In article <11220@milton.u.washington.edu> cyliao@hardy.acs.washington.edu (Chun-Yao Liao) writes:
>>In article <1990Nov13.054856.2988@utstat.uucp> philip@utstat.uucp (Philip McDunnough) writes:
>>>
>>>By the way: Is there a Basic for the NeXT?
>>
>>Sort of.  There is a BASIC that comes a s an example of p2c translator.
>
>The only problem I have with this is why would you want to translate?

OK.  I'm a little off base. I've been informed that p2c doesn't have a BASIC
translator but a BASIC interpreter included in the p2c package. Ah well...


Eric Bennett

wb1j+@andrew.cmu.edu (William M. Bumgarner) (11/18/90)

If you really want to count it, there is also AppleSoft and Integer
basic under the //e emulator that is publically available...

:->

b.bum


b.bumgarner            | Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed are my own.
wb1j+@andrew.cmu.edu   | I officially don't represent anyone unless I
NeXT Campus Consultant | explicity say I am doing so. So there. <Thpppt!>
"I ride tandem with the random/Things don't run the way I planned them.."