DarkBASIC

DarkBASIC is a commercial game creation programming language released by The Game Creators. The language is a structured form of BASIC and is similar to AMOS on the Amiga. The purpose of the language is game creation using Microsoft's DirectX from a BASIC programming language. It is faster and easier to use than comparable languages, but also less powerful. It is marketed on its ability to take a total novice and have them making games with its tutorials.

DarkBASIC

Darkbasic is a programming language that specializes in the creation of games. It can create both 2D and 3D games using a lot less code than the equivalent program would take by using more powerful languages such as C++ due to the included libraries. It is often referred to as DarkBASIC Classic to avoid confusion with DarkBASIC Professional. It consists of an IDE, Debugger and interpreter, and an engine built on DirectX 7. The compiler emitted Bytecode that is appended to an interpreter to create a stand alone executable. The current version is 1.21, released on 14 August 2008. Since the introduction of Darkbasic Professional, The Game Creators have stated that there will be no further updates to the language, although it will still be sold.

Screenshot of Dark Basic version 1.14

Features of DarkBASIC

Audio/Video	Extension	Save
Wave	WAV	Yes
Windows Media	WMA
Mpeg Layer 2	MP2
Mpeg Layer 3	MP3
MIDI Playback	MIDI
RMI	RMI
Scream tracker	S3M
Fast Tracker	XT
Impule Tracker	IT
SoundTracker	MOD
CD Audio	CDA
2D	Extension	Save
Bitmap	BMP	Yes
Run Length Encoded BMP	RLE
Device Independent Bitmap	DIB
Portable Network Graphics	PNG
JPEG	JPG	Yes
DirectDraw Surface	DDS
Targa	TGA
PCX	PCX
PhotoShop	PSD
Tagged Interchange Format	TIFF
3D	Extension	Save
3D Studio	3DS
DirectX	X
Dark Basic Object	DBO	Yes

DarkBASIC is a wide language which covers all areas of game development typical of its time, hence it also includes a wide range of file formats typically used in games. Extra features such as multiplayer and EAX support became available in an expansion pack.

Display

• Automated Double Buffering
• Full-Screen open
• Gamma Control

Input/Output

• Mouse, Keyboard and Gaming controller input.
• Force-Feedback Control
• System Handling
• File Handling

Video and Audio

• Video Animation Control
• Audio Control

2D

• Super-Fast 2D blitting
• Mirror, Stretch, Blur and Fade
• Screen-Sized and animated sprites
• Transparency
• Fast pixel perfect Collision
• 2D Drawing Functions

3D

• Landscape Terraforming
• Built-in 3D Primitives
• Polygon Collision Detection
• Full Model Manipulation
• Model Animation
• Ambient lighting
• Directional Lighting
• Texture filtering
• Alpha blending
• Fogging

DarkBASIC Professional

Main article: DarkBASIC Professional

Developed as a replacement for DarkBASIC. As with DarkBASIC it consisted of an IDE, debugger and compiler. Unlike DarkBASIC, the DarkBASIC Professional compiler outputs Machine Code. The engine originally used DirectX 8.1 but has been updated to use DirectX, 9.0c. The language is essentially the same as DarkBASIC with a few additions. Notably types which allow combining simple data types into a composite data type similar to Structs in C. Other features include the use of shaders, 3D maths commands and vertex editing commands. The current version is 7.61 released 1st June 2011.

Plugin architecture

Plugins allow extra commands to be added to the language. Plugins are DLLs with an embedded string resource detailing the routines implemented in the dll.^[1] At compile time the compiler bundles the relevant plugin dlls into the executable.^[2]

Interestingly built-in commands are also implemented in the same way. This allows third party plugins access to built-in commands by calling the correct function in the relevant dll.

Currently available plugins provide a wide range of addition commands from language extensions and utility functions.^[3] to integration with physics engines^[4] or accessing a Database.

DarkGDK

Formerly known as Dark Game SDK, DarkGDK is the DarkBASIC Professional engine packaged up for use with Visual C++ or Microsoft .NET. It has been publicized as released with Visual C++ 2008, and is specially designed with IntelliSense for this edition. The DarkGDK can be used with Visual C++ and is available as a free download, Games created with DarkGDK can be distributed for free, however, in order to sell your game made with DarkGDK, you must purchase a license about 22€ EUR. DarkGDK.NET product is available for purchase and allows access to the DarkBASIC engine from C# and VB.NET.

PureGDK

PureGDK is an implementation of the DarkBASIC Professional engine for the PureBasic programming language. Like DarkGDK, PureGDK supports many of the same features and runs on DirectX 9.^[5] An additional license for the commercial PureBasic language is required to use it.

The software comes in two editions: PureGDK Upgrade and PureGDK Complete. PureGDK Upgrade is designed to accommodate existing users of DarkBasic Professional by offering a low-cost upgrade path. PureGDK Complete is a stand-alone product for users who don't already own the engine by providing licenses for both DarkBasic Professional and PureGDK. Either solution still requires the user to own or purchase a license for PureBasic.

Sample code

Hello world^[6]

 
PRINT "Hello world."
WAIT KEY
END
 

Simple Rotating Cube^[7]

 
REM 3D rotating cube demo

SYNC RATE 60

MAKE OBJECT CUBE 1,100

DO
    XROTATE OBJECT 1,WRAPVALUE(OBJECT ANGLE X(1)+0.3)
    YROTATE OBJECT 1,WRAPVALUE(OBJECT ANGLE Y(1)+0.5)
    SYNC
LOOP
END
 

Rotating Cube in DarkGDK^[8]

 
#include "DarkGDK.h"

void DarkGDK ( void )
{
        // set sync on and sync rate to 60 frames per second
        dbSyncOn   ( );
        dbSyncRate ( 60 );

        // make a cube caca
        dbMakeObjectCube ( 1, 10 );

        // loop until the escape key is pressed
        while ( !dbEscapeKey ( ) )
        {
                // Turn the cube left
                dbTurnObjectLeft ( 1, 6 );
                // update screen
                dbSync ( );
        }
}
 

Rotating Cube in PureGDK

 
; Open a PureBasic window
OpenWindow(0,0,0,640,480,"DarkBasic Professional - PureGDK",#PB_Window_SystemMenu|#PB_Window_ScreenCentered)

; Initialize the PureGDK screen as a child of window ID 0
OpenDBWnd(WindowID(0),0,0,640,480)

; Set the sync rate to 60 frames per second
dbSyncRate(60)

; Make a cube
dbMakeObjectCube(1,3)

; Loop until the escape key is pressed or the window is closed
Repeat
  dbXRotateObject(1,dbObjectAngleX(1)+0.3)
  dbYRotateObject(1,dbObjectAngleY(1)+0.5)
  dbSync()
Until WindowEvent()=#PB_Event_CloseWindow Or dbKeyState(#VK_ESCAPE)
 

See also

• DarkBASIC Professional
• DarkMATTER, a set of models released by The Game Creators for use with DarkBASIC
• FreeBASIC
• Multimedia Fusion 2

References

1. ^ Third Party Commands SDK
2. ^ Darkbasic pro and classic exe format information.
3. ^ Matrix1Utils plugins collection.
4. ^ NewtonDBPro - Newton Game Dynamics plugin.
5. ^ http://puregdk.com
6. ^ Darkbasic Professional user manual
7. ^ TheGameCreators.com darkBASIC codebase
8. ^ Dark Game SDK user manual

External links

• The Game Creators website - http://www.thegamecreators.com
• The Game Creators' Forums - http://forum.thegamecreators.com/
• WikiBooks - Learn how to Program DarkBASIC - http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/DarkBASIC_Programming