PowerBASIC

PowerBASIC is a BASIC compiler of the company PowerBASIC Inc., of which various versions for MS -DOS and Microsoft Windows are available. The development tools include an editor, the actual compiler and a debugger.

The compilers generate comparatively fast code they generate in machine language, whereas some other BASIC compiler generate P-code, which still needs to be interpreted at run time and then command command is translated into machine language. The files that generate the PowerBASIC compiler, are self- run and do not require runtime modules.

The PowerBASIC compilers are commercial programs. Available free of charge is only a very limited trial version of DOS compiler in version 3.20, in which the saving and loading of programs is prohibited.

PowerBASIC for DOS

The compiler was originally by Robert S. Zale ( aka. Bob Zale ), who left the marketing of the company Borland. 1986 appeared the program as Turbo Basic compiler. Similar to Turbo Pascal it already supported a structured programming. The language scope was based on Microsoft's QuickBASIC, so PowerBASIC for DOS is largely compatible with QuickBasic or QBasic, after at most minor modifications to the source can therefore also QBasic code compile with PowerBASIC for DOS. Borland saw With the release of Microsoft QuickBasic and QBasic interpreter free of charge no more market opportunities and abandoned the project.

Therefore Bob Zale disbanded in 1989 the existing distribution agreement with Borland, so also the hallmark turbo had to be replaced and the new name PowerBASIC arose. With the Spectra Publishing, he found a new partner for the worldwide distribution. Bob Zale has since the language range of PowerBASIC constantly expanding and even included the well-known of the C programming language constructs pointers (pointers ), and Unions in PowerBASIC.

As Spectra Publishing went bankrupt in 1993, Bob Zale founded in Carmel -by-the -Sea, California own company called " PowerBASIC, Inc. ", whose headquarters is now located in Englewood, Florida.

Until the early 1990s PowerBASIC had another significant disadvantage compared with QuickBasic. There was an Integrated Development Environment (IDE ) with pull -down menus, but no mouse support. These existed only from 1992 PowerBASIC version 3.0. In so generated programs is therefore left only with some effort a mouse operation, either integrated via interrupt calls or via the Power Tools, a foreign product that was only in Germany for some time part of the Power Basic Package.

The latest version of PowerBASIC for DOS 3.50 is available in English only. Today PowerBASIC for DOS represents a sector program development, which is always less popular since the mid- 1990s, in particular due to the triumphant progress of graphical user interfaces and now only restricted to a few specialized applications away from the mass market. Nevertheless, lets PowerBASIC for DOS use largely, even under Windows, on the one hand the " real" Microsoft DOS 7.1 (as 98 lay behind Microsoft Windows), and secondly in the DOS emulation of the newer versions of Windows from Windows 2000. Due its low memory requirements and its independence from the Windows registry PowerBASIC for DOS is primarily for portable use, eg for repair from a USB stick. The only major obstacle is that understands deal PowerBASIC for DOS only 8.3 file names, you therefore must be first of all must / x determined using the dir " long name " command, the current 8.3 - correspondence of the file name of the file to be processed before they even can be opened and edited with PowerBASIC for DOS.

First Basic is based on PowerBASIC for DOS 2.10 and is a cost effective entry-level version, which also includes a real compiler.

PowerBASIC for Windows

For several years, the focus of the PowerBASIC development is on the development of the PowerBASIC compiler for 32- bit Windows. There are two Power Basic versions for Windows: PowerBASIC for Windows ( abbreviated "PB / Win "; former name: PowerBASIC DLL abbreviated "PB / DLL " ) and PowerBASIC Console ( abbreviated "PB / CC " = PowerBASIC Console Compiler).

PowerBASIC for Windows ( PB / Win)

PB / Win, which was 2002 PB / DLL to mid, is a modern, easy -to-learn programming language for Windows systems with which one can build applications that have a graphical user interface ( menus, dialog boxes, etc.). The PB / Win compiler generates programs that are executed directly by the processor, they do not require prior interpretation. The compilation is not an intermediate code, but native code, therefore Pb / Win can generate very fast and small EXE files, which also, if desired, alone, can work without any DLL or OCX runtime libraries. Since version 7.0 allows PB / Win macros, that is the definition of repeatable source program parts, in principle, similar to what is known from the C programming language.

About the WINAPI.INC include file can be accessed directly Pb / Win programs on all Windows functions. Run-time libraries are not required for this. PB / Win also possesses a built-in 32 -bit inline assembler.

In addition, PB / Win for creating very slim and fast run-time libraries (DLLs ) is suitable to any other programming language can access that works with -standard DLLs - hence the old name PB / DLL. PB / DLL first appeared in 1996, first as a 16- bit version for Windows 3.1x.

PB / Win has quite a comfortable development environment (IDE) that summarizes the compiler except an editor with color highlighting of language elements ( syntax coloring ), a debugger, and a help function. The debugger provides a convenient trace function, which allows you to record all your important data content and code addresses during program execution.

PowerBASIC Forms

The program PowerBASIC Forms separately to be acquired can be graphical user interfaces for PB / Win programs quickly and relatively easily, namely via a GUI ( graphical user interface), create. PowerBASIC Forms generates the necessary for the desired user interface PowerBASIC Code. This allows PowerBASIC, Inc. software developers to create a graphical user interface for their PB / Win programs faster than before, without having to use Visual Basic or similar foreign products.

PowerBASIC Console ( PB / CC)

PB / CC, the PowerBASIC Console Compiler is intended for purely text-based applications or for batch operations and programs with almost no screen output; Since version 4, however, the language also includes a full set of graphics commands. In addition, there is some time for PB / CC some libraries and add-ons that enable the programming graphically appealing applications is possible and access to the Windows API (Application Programming Interface).

Although the programs started with PB / CC look like DOS programs, but there are 32- bit Windows programs with full access to all Windows system functions. For example, up to 2 GB of memory to be addressed, long file names are possible and all windows supported through drivers such as printers, modems and networks (including the Internet ) can be addressed.

PB / CC is very fast and ideal for all applications that do not require a graphical user interface, for example for CGI programs ( interactive web applications ), commercial calculations, any mathematical calculations, database lookups, semi-automatic text filtering, complex batch programs or related applications.

Application

PB / Win and PB / CC are applied to the creation of business applications on Windows, they are less suitable for game programming and creating multimedia applications, which would not be feasible without any additional libraries. For game programming Blitz Basic or Pure Basic, both multi-platform capable ( with its integrated DirectX interfaces ) or Dark Basic for Windows more suitable.