KwikBASIC BASIC Interpreter (Updated Link)

vdecampo · Post by **vdecampo** » Apr 25, 2010 0:16

I have abandoned this project because I could not justify its completion. I did not see a real need for this project and I have focused my efforts on a similar project that I believe will fill a real need.

Using what I have learned on this project I am in the process of constructing a BASIC to JAVA Converter/Compiler. BASIC programmers will be able to write a BASIC program that will convert and compile to JAVA. The advantages are...

#1. BASIC syntax (Based on the FreeBASIC syntax)
#2. JAVA portability

I am in the process of getting the proof of concept model finished (In FreeBASIC of course). Once that is done I will unveil my new creation to the community.

Stay tuned!
-Vince

fsw · Post by **fsw** » Apr 25, 2010 6:58

vdecampo wrote:...
Using what I have learned on this project I am in the process of constructing a BASIC to JAVA Converter/Compiler. BASIC programmers will be able to write a BASIC program that will convert and compile to JAVA. The advantages are...

#1. BASIC syntax (Based on the FreeBASIC syntax)
#2. JAVA portability

I am in the process of getting the proof of concept model finished (In FreeBASIC of course). Once that is done I will unveil my new creation to the community.

Stay tuned!
-Vince

Did you take a look at Jabaco?
http://www.jabaco.org/

vdecampo · Post by **vdecampo** » Apr 25, 2010 12:45

@fsw

I have seen Jabaco and while I think it is a great piece of software, it is a replacement for VB, not a way to port FB type code to multiple platforms. I will be working towards a more FreeBASIC model of syntax and feature set. The advantage being your programs will work on any platform that supports JAVA.

-Vince

jevans4949 · Post by **jevans4949** » Apr 25, 2010 13:09

So will this in effect be a Basic JVM code emitter?

aston · Post by **aston** » Apr 25, 2010 13:10

Hi Vince..
So you will made BASIC to Java translator.
And you think that will be much used- hmm im little bit sceptic about that.
But dont get me wrong-it's just my opinion.
And here is Jabaco already,by the way i dont like Jabaco becose is to
much like VB ,something simplier will be better - i guess...
I also like way like you do Kwik Basic..
however...
good luck for new project...

Aurel

vdecampo · Post by **vdecampo** » Apr 25, 2010 15:19

@aston

Look at how many people are trying to port FreeBASIC to different OSs; Palm, MAC, GX2, etc. If your BASIC could be translated into a version that worked on JAVA then these ports become unnecessary. You would be able to even write BASIC that works on your mobile phone.

Anyway, I did not make the announcement to debate whether or not my project is relevant to any one person. I did however want to get any advanced feature requests so I could plan the runtime.

-Vince

BasicScience · Post by **BasicScience** » Apr 25, 2010 15:26

I have been developing a set of FB APPs to teach graduate school and medical school courses in neuroscience. More specifically, I use FB to simulate electrical responses of excitable cells like neurons or muscle. A big challenge for implementation is portability to the students and their wide variety of devices (now iPAD-centric). Translation to JAVA would be a terrific tool for this work.

BasicScience

jcfuller · Post by **jcfuller** » Apr 25, 2010 16:22

Vince,
Sign me up! My last new thing (LinuxBC) has been abandoned and I need a new passion. When do we start!!!

James

TeeEmCee · Post by **TeeEmCee** » Apr 25, 2010 21:43

Hey, I might actually use such a tool; depending on whether it's easier to get other people to write in Java or FB for throw away wrappers. (You'd think that on a FB-coded project you'd find a lot of FB programmers, but I actually there are all these Java people hanging around mine who don't know FB)

I think it's a cool and worthwhile project. But I totally disagree that it makes porting FB to other platforms unnecessary.

vdecampo wrote:#1. BASIC syntax (Based on the FreeBASIC syntax)
#2. JAVA portability

But why create a new language? Why not just create a translator from a subset of FreeBASIC (ie, no QB support) to Java? Do you mean that you're removing/simplifying parts of FB that are too much work to implement, like the preprocessor?

vdecampo · Post by **vdecampo** » Apr 25, 2010 22:44

TeeEmCee wrote:Hey, I might actually use such a tool; depending on whether it's easier to get other people to write in Java or FB for throw away wrappers. (You'd think that on a FB-coded project you'd find a lot of FB programmers, but I actually there are all these Java people hanging around mine who don't know FB)

I think it's a cool and worthwhile project. But I totally disagree that it makes porting FB to other platforms unnecessary.

vdecampo wrote:#1. BASIC syntax (Based on the FreeBASIC syntax)
#2. JAVA portability
But why create a new language? Why not just create a translator from a subset of FreeBASIC (ie, no QB support) to Java? Do you mean that you're removing/simplifying parts of FB that are too much work to implement, like the preprocessor?

Just as the current FB compiler converts BASIC syntax to assembler then compiles, I plan to create a compiler that uses a subset of the FB syntax (#lang FB) and convert it to JAVA source that compiles using the JDK. I will also create a set of runtime classes to mimic FB functionality like the GFX and other functions. One major difference will be the absence of pointers. This is an unfortunate truth regarding JAVA and portability.

-Vince

jcfuller · Post by **jcfuller** » Apr 26, 2010 9:29

Vince,
I just found your BaJa-BASIC web-site. It must be great minds think alike :) as I did some searching several years ago on the BaJa name to see if it could be used (I never thought of adding the BASIC part to the name) for exactly the same purpose.

James

vdecampo · Post by **vdecampo** » Apr 26, 2010 12:35

jcfuller wrote:Vince,
I just found your BaJa-BASIC web-site. It must be great minds think alike :) as I did some searching several years ago on the BaJa name to see if it could be used (I never thought of adding the BASIC part to the name) for exactly the same purpose.

James

Yeah that was supposed to be a surprise once I got the initial alpha completed. ;)

-Vince

MystikShadows · Post by **MystikShadows** » Jun 06, 2010 0:55

vdecampo,

I'm just wondering where the latest version of your KwikBASIC interpreter? I'm not sure which version is on the website, but it doesn't have the file statements in it. things like OPEN, CLOSE etc.

Was that every put anywhere online?

vdecampo · Post by **vdecampo** » Jun 06, 2010 1:29

You can get the last version I posted from here...

http://www.iMakeGames.Com/files/downloads/KwikBASIC.zip

-Vince

creek23 · Post by **creek23** » Jun 08, 2010 6:36

vdecampo wrote:You can get the last version I posted from here...

http://www.iMakeGames.Com/files/downloads/KwikBASIC.zip

-Vince

Maybe we could make this into a library instead for use of game engines and other apps that support scripts-as-plugins.