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Frank Jones wrote

>The following URL offers a compatible form of BASIC that is open- source
>and free.  A Binary is available for 32-bit MS Windows (95/98/NT/2000/XP)
>environment.  The syntax is described as very compatible with
>MS-QuickBASIC (including the GFX statements) and includes  new features
>such as pointers, unsigned data types, inline-assembly, a pre-processor
>and many others.
>
>I have no experience with FreeBASIC  The BASIC programming language did
>for a while provide a common language for scientist/engineers to exchange
>work.  I remember untangling more than one 'goto' programming
>problem!  Since then many other languages have come and gone.
>
>FreeBASIC is located at http://sourceforge.net/projects/fbc/ for those
>that wish to download and try it out.  I did not attempt to determine the
>state of FreeBASIC documentation but it is probably good.

Thanks to Frank for finding this version of BASIC, which, if it fulfils its
promises, may very well be "the answer to the maiden's prayer"! It appears
to offer just what I was looking for, particularly the long-lost ability to
GOTO a labelled instruction, thoroughly deprecated by all right-thinking
programmers, but invaluable nevertheless. And I see that FreeBASIC usefully
offers ATAN2 as a new function which didn't exist in the original language
(though its documentation in the manual could be a lot better). There are,
however, warnings about potential bugginess

I've downloaded FreeBASIC with its libraries, and the .pdf manual, but
haven't yet found out how to start writing code. I will report back when I
have a bit more experience.

George.




===============================================================
Contact George at george@huxtable.u-net.com ,or by phone +44 1865 820222,
or from within UK 01865 820222.
Or by post- George Huxtable, 1 Sandy Lane, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13
5HX, UK.

   

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