QB64

Infobox programming language
developer = Galleon

latest_release_version = 0.81
latest_release_date = release date|2008|09|30
influenced_by = QuickBASIC, QBASIC
operating_system = Microsoft Windows
website = http://www.qb64.net/

QB64 (originally QB32 [cite web|url=http://www.basicprogramming.org/pcopy/issue50/#inthenews|work=PCOPY! Issue #50|title=In The News|date=2007-11-16|accessdate=2008-08-17|author=Stephane Richard|publisher=] ) is a self-hosting BASIC compiler for Microsoft Windows, designed to be compatible with Microsoft QBASIC and QuickBasic. QB64 is a C++ emitter, which is integrated with a C++ compiler to provide compilation via C++ code and GCC optimization. [cite web|url=http://www.basicprogramming.org/pcopy/issue70/#galleoninterview|work=PCOPY! Issue #70|title=Interview With Galleon|date=2008-05-26|accessdate=2008-07-14|author=E.K.Virtanen|publisher=]

The current version of QB64 as of September 2008 is version 0.8. This version implements most QBASIC statements, and can run many QBASIC programs, including Microsoft's QBASIC Gorillas and Nibbles games.cite web|url=http://www.qb64.net/screenshots/displayimage.php?album=1&pos=0|title=QB64 Screenshots - QB64/QBASIC Gorillas in QB64|date=|accessdate=2008-07-25|author=|publisher=] QB64 also extends the QBASIC programming language to include 64-bit data types, as well as better sound and graphics support.

QB64 was originally compiled with Microsoft PDS Basic 7.1. After version 6.3, the compiler had implemented enough QuickBASIC features to compile itself.

Syntax

QB64 extended commands begin with an underscore in order to avoid conflicting with any functions that may be defined in a QuickBASIC program. Line numbers are not required, and statements are separated by newlines or by colons (:). As in QuickBASIC, bitwise and logical operations are combined, and true is represented by negative one.

An example Hello, World program is:

PRINT "Hello, World!"

Extensions to QBASIC

QB64 extends the QuickBASIC language in several ways. It adds the new data types including _BIT, _BYTE, and _INTEGER64 as well as unsigned data types. The new data types have suffixes just like the traditional BASIC data types. QB64 also includes an audio library which allows playing most common audio formats including MP3, Ogg Vorbis, and MIDI files as well as libraries allowing users to use higher resolution graphics than the 640x480 offered by QuickBASIC, [cite web|url=http://www.qbasicnews.com/qboho/qckadvr.m111213.shtml|title=QB Advisor: Screen Modes 11, 12, and 13|date=1988|accessdate=2008-07-25|author=|publisher=Microsoft Corporation] use different fonts, and plot images in BMP, PNG, and JPEG format.

Libraries

QB64 currently uses the SDL library for both graphics and text modes.

ee also

* QuickBASIC
* QBASIC

References

External links

* [http://www.qb64.net/ Project home page]
* [http://www.network54.com/Forum/585676/ QB64 Forum]