Trying out QB64

[Ivan]

Hi,

I'm currently using another Basic, but have to change to another Basic eg. QB64 for several reasons:

1. My programs is to big and complex, to not have a proper debugger.
2. I notized that QB64 don't have to use capital letters.
3. More strict typing, so I can't use variables out of the blue!
4. I can customize the IDE.
5. I have some dyslextic issues and with more than 3000 lines of code that sometimes makes it very hard to find errors.
6. QB64 is maintained!

So when I have finished my current work I will give QB64 a go.

Regards,

Ivan

[FellippeHeitor]

Welcome aboard, Ivan!

Hope your experience is smooth.

[Ivan]

Thanks - and the community of course.

It was acctually your video about using non capital keywords, that got me interested.

[FellippeHeitor]

I'm glad to hear that! 🤩

[_vince]

I like your signature, nice summary.  Welcome! ;-)

[Ivan]

Thanks.

I forgot to mention UniComal. A Danish structured and procedural Basic like language with a very strict syntax check. The IDE forced you to enter each code line before approval. Saved me for a lots of typos.

C++ is also created by a Dane Bjarne Stoustrup. I think he works at a American university.

[Juanjogomez]

Welcome!!
I was programming in QB45 and it has been easy to convert my warehouse management program to QB64, which now uses SQL databases.
One of my programs already has 46,150 lines of code, so there are no problems with the size of the code.
Regards

[johnno56]

Welcome, Ivan.

I hope that your stay with us will be a pleasant one and that we may all learn something new together.

John

[Richard Frost]

What kind of program has 46K lines?

[SMcNeill]

What kind of program has 46K lines?

A decently sized one?

[Juanjogomez]

What kind of program has 46K lines?

Specifically, it is invoicing and warehouse management for fruit wholesalers.

[Ivan]

I'm am sure I can learn a lot from this community. I hope I can return some ideas also. I think of my level as medium, I hope.

I'm still fascinated as I was the first time I wrote two lines of code. Print and input and viewing the results. Thinking about an idea and then write or create code to solve a problem.

A little while ago, I introduced my niece to programming. She is learning about the Cartesian coordinate system. I showed her how to move, plot and drawing lines. About drawing a box (vectors) and use relative positions (x,y) to place the box anywhere in the coordinate. We also made an Unit circle and used cos and sin to draw circles.

For my part documentation is the hardest part. I'm trying to write my code as clear as I possible can, so it speaks or explains if self.

Sometimes when I review some of my code, I'm thinking that is not the most clever code I have seen. It's often because I did not respect the difficulty of the job and the code is taking revenge.

It's very satisfying to have written code, that responds correctly and fast with different arguments, easy to read and relatively easy to expand.

[bplus]

Sometimes when I review some of my code, I'm thinking that is not the most clever code I have seen. It's often because I did not respect the difficulty of the job and the code is taking revenge.

Yeah I am always finding new and interesting ways to do old stuff, lot's of new options with QB64 over older QB stuff.

Welcome Ivan!

[Ivan]

Hi,

As you clearly can see, English is certainly not my first language. English is a language I started to learn after my thirties and issues with midly dyslexia gives me lots of challenges, but never the less I really enjoying English. And thank you for letting me torturing your grammar and thank you for your forgivingness.

The first time I saw QB64 was... Is it a DOS system??? But that is only the old time look and the IDE can be costumized to some extend. The color used for errors is very hard for me to read. It seems that the old Qbasic still have a big place and many references in QB64.

One of the reasons I'm trying out other Basics is the need for a better debugger, more strict typing and better indentions. The indentions works fine for me and option explicit is great, but the debugger is very hard for me to use. It's also very important, that it have an ongoing development.

The community is great and gives me a very good feeling!

I'm currently in the middle of a project and must for now use my time there again although I love trying out basics.

I tried Free Basic with a lot of appealing features, but a very, very old IDE and a obscure installation.

Pure Basic with lots and lots of features and one time fee. It also have a great community. Pure Basic feels different in a way I can't explain and I think it more or less have all the features you can ask for.

The most likeable Basic I had tried is BASIC-256 which is a learning Basic. It is the most user friendly Basic I had ever tried. The debugger is magnificent and intuitively and is viewed inside the IDE. They also provide a fantastic tutorial - with mathematics, file handling, stacks, queues, lists, sorting, error trapping, database, network, sprites and ect.

Regards,

Ivan

PS. I'll be back...

[Dav]

Hi Ivan.  Your English is great!  I also use Purebasic and have found it a very useful tool.  Hope you continue on with QB64 - it's a very comfortable language and lots of code examples to learn from.

- Dav