What are you using FB for and what features do you use most?

General discussion for topics related to the FreeBASIC project or its community.
Munair
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What are you using FB for and what features do you use most?

Post by Munair »

While working daily on a larger project (SharpBASIC compiler) written in FreeBASIC, I realize (also with the release of 1.09) that most of the features of FB I use are not that different from QuickBASIC. For instance, I'm not using pointers, objects and constructors, nor macros (which IMO can make code really difficult to read).

But I do use const, sub and function declarations inside Types. I also use some direct string character access like buffer[chpos], features QB didn't have. Other than that, and of course today's flat memory model, there isn't all that much difference between coding with today's FB and 80s-90s QB. Image
Imortis
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Re: What are you using FB for and what features do you use most?

Post by Imortis »

I have many projects of different sizes written in FB (Text game engine, very simple scripting language, tons of game ideas) that are all unfinished or otherwise on the back burner.

I use a lot of the OOP features, pointers (where it makes sense) and the ability to use 3rd party libraries.

Things I rarely, if ever, use:
  • -lang: I only use the FB dialect
  • Print Using: I like manipulating strings so this takes the fun out of it for me.
  • Macros: I try to keep use to a minimum. No real reason. I just never saw too many things I wanted to use them for.
  • Naked: It is a bit beyond my needs/capability.
I am sure there is more I could put in both categories, but this was just off the top of my head.
marcov
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Re: What are you using FB for and what features do you use most?

Post by marcov »

Are Sharpbasic's runtime libs also written in FB? Some features needed are primarily needed for runtime libs. (Imortis' Naked remark was the trigger)
Last edited by marcov on Feb 21, 2022 9:36, edited 2 times in total.
Munair
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Re: What are you using FB for and what features do you use most?

Post by Munair »

marcov wrote:Are Sharpbasic's runtime libs also written in FB?
No, in (inline) NASM. SB is mature enough for that.

Edit: ah I see. You're referring to Naked. No, I don't use that. When using inline NASM, also no registers are preserved (that's entirely up to the programmer).
Last edited by Munair on Jan 08, 2022 7:39, edited 1 time in total.
paul doe
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Re: What are you using FB for and what features do you use most?

Post by paul doe »

For me is exactly the opposite: I barely touch any QB-related stuff (only the graphical leftover from it). I make heavy use of OOP features, pointers, macros (mostly for templating), namespaces, operators, etc. If a language feature can be used, and does indeed simplify my life (operators, for example), I have no second thoughts on it.

However, I acknowledge I have a very distinctive coding style, so others might find it 'hard' to read/use (especially if they were never exposed to other paradigms, like functional)
srvaldez
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Re: What are you using FB for and what features do you use most?

Post by srvaldez »

Imortis, marcov and paul doe were are your manners?
you forgot to quote Munair in your replies
paul doe
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Re: What are you using FB for and what features do you use most?

Post by paul doe »

srvaldez wrote:Imortis, marcov and paul doe were are your manners?
you forgot to quote Munair in your replies
I thought you hated it? ;)
Julcar
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Re: What are you using FB for and what features do you use most?

Post by Julcar »

Since I meet FreeBasic (2010) and learned in deep the language (2013) I've used it mainly for web development. My biggest project is IguanaCMS, a web page engine written from the very scratch in 100% freebasic, zero external dependencies aside those provided by the OS (I use some winapi calls)
I've been able to code a full CGI library, a full JSON parser and generator, an OAuth client, base64, sha1, sha256, and a SMTP client.

The features I most use:
*strings, I don't know what would be my life without fb strings
UDTs, they allow me to encapsulate related values just like objects
Callback functions
Winapi access
Munair
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Re: What are you using FB for and what features do you use most?

Post by Munair »

srvaldez wrote:Imortis, marcov and paul doe were are your manners?
you forgot to quote Munair in your replies
The question mark is in the title. Don't spoil the thread with meaningless posts. Thank you.
Last edited by Munair on Jan 08, 2022 10:50, edited 1 time in total.
marcov
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Re: What are you using FB for and what features do you use most?

Post by marcov »

srvaldez wrote:Imortis, marcov and paul doe were are your manners?
you forgot to quote Munair in your replies
Posts without quote are a reaction to the thread start. And in my case it was.
srvaldez
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Re: What are you using FB for and what features do you use most?

Post by srvaldez »

marcov, it was a facetious remark, Paul Doe understood what I meant but apparently some people didn't get it.
D.J.Peters
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Re: What are you using FB for and what features do you use most?

Post by D.J.Peters »

Since over 30 years coding as a german freelancer pays all my bills (and women's and drugs :lol:)
One big income was hardware near stuff in assembler e.g. drivers for windows and linux
most projects are C/C++, JavaScript, PHP, Java, bash etc.

FreeBASIC is my hobby since 2005 and I love it as a brake from commercial stuff.
(except my commercial Märklin model rail controller, will be written complete in FreeBASIC and C/C++ for the micro controllers)

Joshy
JohnK_RQ
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Re: What are you using FB for and what features do you use most?

Post by JohnK_RQ »

I use FB to reuse basic-compatible code, and dlls to support older rapidq apps, and some stuff made by DJ Peters. I find it is a nice compiler!
adeyblue
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Re: What are you using FB for and what features do you use most?

Post by adeyblue »

What I love FB for is how they let a complete randomer with zero provenence, or indeed experience of FB, run riot over their source code because I can use git and have An Idea (TM). And when I've achieved my dream of turning it all into an unmaintainable mess of objects...

I'm gon' leave
Lost Zergling
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Re: What are you using FB for and what features do you use most?

Post by Lost Zergling »

@adeyblue. I rely and thrust mainly on Jeff, fxm and St_w stuff getting an 'official vision' of the core language. I believe in multi paradigmatic approaches. I don't feel very implied into the orientations the official object model and I think I m not technically enough qualified or implied to have a judgement about object model, especially when it comes to 'low level' and technicity rather than generality and design.
I'm doing personaly, a heavy use of my lzle tool in most of my codes, combined with arrays and files accesses. My goal is to get a result easy and fast to write, efficiency and readability. I'm using it as an extension wich as become unavoidable for me and this is logic because i originally designed it acccording to my own wishes and needs.
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