GW Basic compiler 1

[Golestan]

Hi Guys,
I am looking for a windows based BASIC compiler. I used to be good at programing in basic and also I have some design programs that I want to use now.
Thanks for any information.

 

[BigInch]

I just typed "basic compiler" in google.
This came up #1. Looks like there'll be something there for you.

http://www.thefreecountry.com/compilers/basic.shtml

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.msn.com

 

[TomBarsh]

I used to use Microsoft Quick Basic years ago. There have been so many changes to computers that I don't even know if programs compiled under Quick Basic or GW Basic will even run any more.

My suggestion is to try using the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) available in Microsoft Excel. If you are crunching numbers, Excel makes a new user interface: put your input data in the spreadsheet, then read it and work with it using VBA. You can report the results back to the spreadsheet or to a text file (you can even have Excel VBA open up the output file in Windows Notepad).

 

[IRstuff]

Overall, I'd question the need to use BASIC. What do you need to do that can't be done directly in Excel? BASIC was a great tool in the days when there were few other programming languages and hardly any mathematical tools.

Nowadays, you have Excel, Mathcad, Matlab, etc. You can get public-licensed clone of Matlab for free, which does all the math and has some degree of user interface capability:

http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/FAQ.html#What-is-Octave_003f

For almost everything I'd done in the last 10 yrs, Excel, Mathcad, and Matlab pretty much covered.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[Feric]

Hi there:

Just do what TomBrash is telling you to do and you cannot go wrong.

Get a copy of MS Office and use MS Excel. VB (Visual BASIC) compiler is there for free.

Do regular spreadsheet work and when needed use VB. Even spreadsheet cells can take input date from given cells and present the output in another cell.

Programming will never go away.

Knowing how hard it used to be, it is unbelievable what is available today and how far you can go ...

What else can you ask for?

Thanks,

G. Feric, PE

http://engware.i-dentity.com

 

[GregLocock]

Qbasic programs do run under XP, I don't know about Vista.



Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[Feric]

GregLocock:

Unfortunately, as of now, QBasic programs do not run under Vista as is.

Thanks,

G. Feric, PE

http://engware.i-dentity.com

 

[IRstuff]

VBA is interpreted, and not compiled. Additionally, it must run with the program that it comes, i.e., Excel, or Word, etc.

An alternative is VB Express, which is currently free:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/express/aa718406.aspx

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[israelkk]

Compiled Quickbasic DOS programs run in XP. GWBASIC run too. You can get the free DOSBOX program that creates a DOS environment and run even DOS graphic programs.

 

[handleman]

There's also VBScript. Your computer comes with a VBScript interpreter built in. The programming is pretty similar to VB/VBA. You can run a VBScript program directly without being inside another program like Word or Excel. Of course, it's not going to be as powerful or flexible as VBA in Excel or VB Express, especially in the area of GUI.

 

[Feric]

IRstuff:

Yes, you are right.

It is an interpreter not a compiler for VB.

Thanks,

G. Feric, PE

http://engware.i-dentity.com

 

[SteveGregory]

What is the best way to learn the basics and get started using VBA for Excel?

I use Excel spreadsheets for a lot, however I have never tried a macro or VBA. I used to use macros for Quattro Pro in my DOS days.

 

[cummings54]

IRstuff is wrong about VBA.
It is indeed compiled. The code is compiled and saved as part of the workbook. What distinguishes VBA from VB is that VBA needs a host application. As such it can not be run as a stand alone application like VB.

 

[IRstuff]

VBA for Excel has a great utility, which is the macro recorder. Just about anything that you might want to do in Excel can be macro recorded, which gives you a great starting point for coding.

The VBA help files are generally useful, although the structure of the objects in VBA for Excel can be obscure, at times.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[johnwm]

There may be some misinterpretation of the term 'compiled' in relation to computer jargon. The VBA code in a spreadsheet is included in the spreadsheet itself, but is not compiled in the computing sense. That would imply converting the instructions irreversibly into machine code. VBA code is interpreted afresh with every run of the code, so is not compiled in the normal sense.

Excel VBA is fairly well documented in Excel VBA help which can be accessed from an Excel VBA code window (ALT-F11 from a spreadsheet) and MSDN has documentation currently here

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa272254(office.11).aspx

but liable to move

Good Luck
johnwm
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[MikeHalloran]

You don't need a compiler.

E.g. QBASIC just screams on a modern computer, even a 'slow' one.

Those old programs that used to give you time to get coffee will finish before you can stand up.





Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[Feric]

To All:

Change in the computer world is just amazing.

What used to take for ever, today it is done in a few seconds or even less ...

It is good to read posts from people who know more than I do and have been doing computer calculations for many, many years. It is always good to read such engineering and computer opinons and experiences.

I have to admit that every day I can learn and hear something new about computing and computers and the whole thing just keeps getting beter and better.

Thanks,

G. Feric, PE

http://engware.i-dentity.com

 

[IRstuff]

VBA is a bit of a mixed bag.

While it is not a traditional "compiled" language that goes to machine code, it does compile to a psuedocode that's similar to the basic infrastructure used in VC++ and VB.

However, the psuedocode is itself interpreted in Excel, so for VBA, it's still an interpreted result.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[Golestan]

Thanks for all the comments,
What is the best way to teach this old dog, (GWBASIC programmer) to lear and use the VB in excell. I have been told that all the calculations I want to do, can be done in excell.
Where do I start?
regards,

 

[IRstuff]

Your best bet is to turn on the macro recorder in Excel, do a sample calc, and look at the generated code.

I've bought MANY VBA books, but the end result is that I always record some kernel of code and then use the VBA help files for the rest.

And bear in mind that the basic structure of VBA is still BASIC. The only annoyance is the object structure that you have to slog through to reference things on the worksheet.

The following isn't terribly relevant, but it shows flow of the program and the ability to reference MS Word documents and copying stuff and pasting back into Excel

Sub LT7()


'++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Dim ColIndex, RowIndex, StartRow, Done
    Dim FileName, SheetName
    
    Dim WordApp As Object
    Dim Trans As String
       
    Set WordApp = GetObject(, "word.application")
    
    FileName = ActiveWorkbook.Name
    SheetName = ActiveSheet.Name
    
    Sheets(SheetName).Select
    Done = False
    ColIndex = ActiveCell.Column
    RowIndex = ActiveCell.Row
    StartRow = RowIndex
    
    Cells(RowIndex, ColIndex).Select
    With WordApp.Selection.Find
        .Text = "transmittance ="
        .Replacement.Text = ""
        .Forward = True
        .Wrap = wdFindContinue
        .Format = False
        .MatchCase = False
        .MatchWholeWord = False
        .MatchWildcards = False
        .MatchSoundsLike = False
        .MatchAllWordForms = False
    End With
'++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    For Index = 1 To 25
        WordApp.Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
        WordApp.Selection.Find.Execute
        WordApp.Selection.MoveRight unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=1
        WordApp.Selection.MoveRight unit:=wdSentence, Count:=1, Extend:=wdExtend
'        WordApp.Selection.Copy
        Trans = WordApp.Selection.Text
        WordApp.Selection.MoveDown unit:=wdLine
        
        Cells(RowIndex, ColIndex).Select
'        ActiveSheet.Paste
        ActiveCell.Formula = Trans
        
        RowIndex = RowIndex + 1
    Next
    Cells(StartRow, ColIndex).Select
End Sub

TTFN

FAQ731-376