QuickBasic Cafe Forum

Which should I go with to learn this language.  I am currently working with Liberty Basic and want to learn another.

 Hello Kim.  Do a search on "QBasic 4.5" and you'll find lots of info and tutorials.  I am having a great time with QB.4.5 but have still lots to learn.  Good luck  :D

I'd say 4.5 . Mainly cause it's more frequently used by Qbasic programmers and therefore you'll be able to find more games,demos,utils and examples to learn from.

Good luck!

I have downloaded both versions and neither of them will self install on my win98.  Does anyone know why?

Do you have to have MSdos installed on you system in order to use qbasic?

any help will be appreciated.

>:(  Isn't there someone on this board who can help me figure this out?

Is qb that difficult to install?

I have never heard of QB7.1, but if it is for DOS, it is probabley the same as QB4.5  You don't install it.  If you are using windows (as you are) just asosiat the "bas" extention with the program located werever you want and make a shortcut to it on your desktop or start menu.  

I am realy sorry that none of these fools have helped you yet.  Most of the people on this bourd are pretty stuppid.  Some are good, some are great, but most are just worthless.  You should, however, register so people can refer to you more esily.  Its free.  so why not?

Were did you download QB7.1?  It may solve my problem with base memory.

Thank you sir!

I downloaded the 7.1 from this site on the download page.

So, then, if I associate the .bas files with my LB3W (liberty basic 3 workshop) I should be able to run the program in lb3w?

Or do I have to associate it with the dos file?

thank you

kim

I have no idea what "liberty basic 3 workshop" is.  If you are just now beginning to program.  You should not be even thinking about liberarys though.  They are quit hard.  If you are talking about using the lib file.  You have to make it a quick liberary (.qlb) then change the command line to "qb /l dog.qlb"  providing you are using qb4.5 and the lib is dog.qlb.  If you are using qb7.1 then the command line would be "xqb /l dob.qlb"  at least I think so.  I just now began using qb7.1 and it kicks arse.  I will download liberty basic 3 workshop next week and figure it out for you, too busy this week.

Which to use QB45 or QB71? I have not reviewed the features of QB71 as they relate to QB45 but, on face value, I would certainly recommend QB71. The simple  reason is the release numbers. Obviously, a lot of changes, perhaps under the covers, but likely many changes related to performance and memory management. I'll go hunt down the differences, if they're documented by MS in the package and try to publish a simple outline...

Qbasic is an interperated language. Every command is executed within the Qbasic envoirment(Press F5 to run). Quickbasic 4.5 is Qbasic with a complier. The complier gives creates executable code from your textfile. Excutable code has an extension of MyProgram.EXE and runs directly when called from DOS or Windows. Quickbase PDS or 7.1 is the professional version of Quickbasic. It has several professional features such as ISAM which is file indexing system for large data file and the ability to break the 640K DOS barrier. This is needed by professional programs to write hugh programs. Basic's biggest draw back is that it can't really chain several programs or modules together the way C and Cobal can. I feel the average person only needs Quickbasic 4.5.

I think you answered the question clearly. If 4.5 is limited to 640K while 7.1 'breaks the 640K barrier"... why would anyone want to develop in 4.5? Why not just use the more powerful and, likely, more efficient development tool? It's 7.1 for me all day.

OTOH, DirectQB isnt compatible with 7.1.  Your call

I think one drawback with 7.1 is that it will run 4.5 programs ok (whichever format the program is saved in - qb or text) but 4.5 won't run a 7.1 program unless it's saved as text, so perhaps from a programmers point of view you're better off making sure that more people can run your program rather than less (by either using 4.5 or saving 7.1 as text).

Also, if you come to rely on any features of 7.1 'breaking the 640k barrier' (e.g. writing a very large program) won't this prevent 4.5 form having a chance with it?

Perhaps if you're writing such large progs, you need to break the program down into smaller ones and chain them or run one from another when you need to.

I've used 4.5 for a few years and only just found 7.1 on this site. I've had to make some minor modifications to my programs to run them under 7.1 as I'd used variable names under 4.5 which seem to have become reserved words (keywords) under 7.1. Otherwise, no obvious differences outwardly, but (as has been said) obviously there is more 'under the bonnet'.

Try them both. See which suits you best. As for 'installing' there should be no problems. Just run the file in a dos box on your machine and it should be ok. One thing you might find prudent is to edit autoexec.bat to add a path to the qb45 (or whichever) folder.

And no, you don't have to have msdos installed to use quickbasic. Any flavour of windows from 95 up should cope ok either in a dos box or in dos mode

If you are first learning, then I would suggest 4.5, I went straight from 1.1 to 7.1, so I am not sure, but the best advantage I have found with qb71, is the fact that you can convert files into exe's and run them straight from your task bar

It's 7.1 for me all day.

Good for you, you found something you like.


... why would anyone want to develop in 4.5? Why not just use the more powerful and, likely, more efficient development tool? ...

Notice the "want to"...not everyone has a job programming games or business applications for the "Computer".

What if you land a job and your boss says s/he wants you to create a program for a calculator watch? There would be limitations as to the size of program you're allowed.

What if you were told to create a program for N64?  You can't just say..."the game I had in mind is too large, I can't do it."  You'd be out of a job before too long.

I know these examples are extream; but the point still stands.  If you CAN create something in a restricted environment, then it will be NO PROBLEM recreating it in a newer IDE space since you know it can be done.

Has anyone seen those new cellphones that take a picture?  There is limited space there too, unless you take it to the mfg and have more mem installed.  But then, someone will ask to store three pix now instead of one.

Now you have to create ANOTHER program...never ends does it?