Blitz Basic

Blitz Basic is a programming language that is based on the Basic syntax and especially suitable for programming of PC games.

Blitzbasic originated on the Amiga. After the demise of the Home Computer, author Mark Sibly, Blitzbasic decided to port to PC for Windows. Meanwhile, Macintosh, and Linux is considered in the current BlitzMax offshoot. Blitz2D, Blitz3D, BlitzMax and Lightning Plus: This family has the following language variants come. Blitz2D is today, however, no longer developed since BlitzPlus and Blitz3D it have the full scope of language Blitz2D. However, there is still a demo version of Blitz2D that can be used indefinitely and thus is very suitable for learning.

• 2.1 Blitz2D
• 2.2 Blitz3D
• Blitz3D SDK 2.3
• 2.4 Lightning Plus

• 3.1 BlitzMax
• 3.2 Monkey

Amiga

Blitz Basic

Blitz Basic is a dialect of the BASIC programming language. The compiler came in the early 90s for the Amiga on the market. Mark Sibly of Acid software in New Zealand had developed it in terms of the programming of computer games. It contains additional language elements and functions that make it possible to write without much prior knowledge multimedia applications and games. The advantage of Blitzbasic in the field of game programming is that the programming language in the graphic area works very fast.

Blitz Basic 2

With Blitz Basic 2 could still write later Workbench applications, also added new commands a lot. Blitz Basic 2 was towards the end of the Amiga to the open source AmiBlitz, which is still being intensively developed.

PC

Blitz2D

Early 2000, then began the development of Blitz Basic for the PC, a 2D games programming language based on DirectX 7.0 with a lot of features.

This can be used the Basic basic syntax use (eg, if- statements and for- and while- loops). You can output 2D graphics and sound. It is based on DirectX 7.0, which provides the most commands that you need for 2D games. Since DirectX is backwards compatible, it is at the present time under all Windows versions apply, which is DirectX 7.0 or higher.

Blitz3D

Blitz3D came after about 68 updates (up to v1.68 ) newly added. It added more than 200 Blitz Basic 3D commands. The update 1.78 of the compiler was separated from the IDE. The currently latest version of Blitz3D is 1.107.

Again, the basic - basic syntax can be used. Basically, the full language range of Blitz2D available. A new addition is the support for 3D objects. Manipulations of the 3D environment are possible. As with Blitz2D comes DirectX 7.0 is used, which ensures compatibility to more current versions. Training period is, however, necessary here. It should also have been dealing with 3D game design you are already in principle. The GUI commands the flash Plus version are not included, but are available for Blitz Basic and Blitz3D now BlitzUI, a free extension which extends the languages ​​to GUI functions. The BlitzUI ( "Flash User Interface" ) for Blitz3D and Blitz Basic allows an approach to the typical Windows user interface, such as, among others, menu bars and drop-down menus, but is used in contrast to BlitzPlus not the standard Windows GUI. Although Blitz3D really should get no more updates, Mark Sibly published a version that fixes for users of Windows 8 contained.

Blitz3D SDK

The Blitz 3D SDK enables the functions of B3D for other languages ​​such as C or even BlitzMax. Since not all B3D commands are included, there is no solution to the problem BlitzMax/3D. In addition, the SDK is tied to Windows ( graphics and Tonanweisungen only run on Direct X ).

BlitzPlus

BlitzPlus came in 2003 as a download version to, fueling Blitzbasic from. BlitzPlus includes, in addition to the instruction set of Blitz Basic still commands to generate a GUI. Lightning Plus includes all Blitz2D commands, but it is not 3D capable. Unlike Blitz2D it is, however, still displaced. Nevertheless, this language is used by very few.

For programming of more complex applications are programming languages ​​such as Microsoft's Visual Basic or Borland Delphi are available. BlitzPlus other hand, is due to the possibility to integrate a typical Windows user interface in the simplest way, increasingly appreciated by developers who earlier batches ( batch processing) have programmed as the user interface, batch processing with BlitzPlus easy to create as opposed to the earlier ones. BAT files can be easily operated even by unskilled users. BlitzPlus is thus a programming language for developers, for which the application development is not the main task but an additional resource to meet the requirements more quickly learn and efficiently compressed speech grammar is active mainly as it the basic idea of all BASIC dialects originally implied.

Multiplatform

BlitzMax

BlitzMax was released in December 2004. Thus can not only create games ( OpenGL or DirectX), but also applications on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Completely new is the ability to object-oriented programming. In addition, the source code is fully compiled into machine language. Thus BlitzMax programs are as fast as applications written in C in about. Besides the possibility of object-oriented programming, pointers can now be used. The programming language uses to compile the FASM assembler source code as well as GCC and can embed compiled modules.

One of the most important aspects of BlitzMax is the possibility to integrate pre-compiled modules and to create their own modules and compile it. The entire language is thus modular; there are both lightning Research Inc. self-written modules, as well as those that the Blitz Basic community has produced. Too many modules of source code is included, so that modifications are possible by the programmer.

BlitzMax is the youngest member of the Flash family dar. It dominates with some exceptions, 2D and the BB- basic syntax (with minor deviations). It also supports OpenGL and DirectX. The most important thing BlitzMax is the compatibility with Windows, Linux and Mac without source code modification. This only needs to be compiled on any platform. At the present time no official 3D extension is not available, a 3D engine on OpenGL - base, however, is still under construction.

Already, however, appeared is the official GUI module, which allows to create applications BlitzPlus similar, but with the general advantages of BMax. Other important features are the Reflection module that was added in BlitzMax 1.26 and Lua and thread modules which were in version 1.32 it.

Monkey

Monkey was on March 1, 2011 by Lightning Research Ltd.. published. In contrast to other programming languages ​​, the flash - family there are more than a compiler, Monkey can theoretically be precompiled into any programming language.

Scope

Blitz Basic is a programming language with extensive eponymous development environment. Since BlitzMax also programs for Mac OS X and Linux can be created. Suitable Blitz Basic is available for both 2D and 3D graphics and can therefore also be used for demanding applications without technical limitations.

Since you can access eg BlitzPlus to the Windows API, Flash Basic can also be used for normal applications, but is in comparison to languages ​​such as Visual Basic or Delphi rare for it to use.