Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (
More info?)
dadiOH wrote:
> lon wrote:
>
>>I know that this list is not the best for this type of question but in
>>the real old days (forgetting PL/1 and Fortran) basic was used a lot
>>in programing s. I have recently become interested in programming
>>not for money just for fun (converting some old old games) from
>>apple II basic to win98se platform. Does visual basic replace the
>>old basic ?.
>
>
> You can still get "old Basic". Numerous versions. RealBasic, Qbasic,
> xBasic, ChipmunkBasic, PowerBASIC, LibertyBasic, PureBasic, et al.
> Google will reveal all...
>
> In fact, you most likely already have QBasic (for DOS). Don't know if
> it is what interprets Windows "scripts" or not.
>
> VisualBasic is considerably different than "old Basic". I haven't
> messed with it much but find it strange. I doubt that would be the case
> if I didn't know old Basic well. Too used to the linearity of the old,
> I guess.
>
>
> --
> dadiOH
> ____________________________
>
> dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
> ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
> LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
> Get it at
http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
QBASIC was on some of the Windows 9x installation CDs, but it wasn't
installed with the OS setup. If QBASIC is on the Windows 9x CD you
should be able to locate it by putting the CD in your drive and using
Windows search. Search for files with "qbasic.*" in the file name. To
install QBASIC, just copy the two QBASIC files to a folder on your hard
disk and create a shortcut to the EXE file. You could even copy the
files to a Floppy, Zip disk, CD R/W or CD-R and double click the EXE
file (could even run off the Windows CD, but I wouldn't reccomend it).
As high as CPU clock speeds have been for the last several years I don't
know if game port joysticks would work properly for QBASIC applications.
I would be supprised if QBASIC could use USB game controlers at all.
To do very much graphicly within the Windows interface you would need
the DirectX SDK (Software Development Kit). I don't recall the link, but
the DirectX SDK (for DirectX version 8) was available for free download
from Microsoft's web site. To use the DirectX SDK you would also need a
Windows compatable programming language. The DirectX SDK would be most
compatable with Visual C++ 6 or, to a slightly lesser extent, Visual
Basic 6 (MS doesn't capitalize all of BASIC). Programming for the
Windows interface is A LOT different than what could be done with
Applesoft ][, or any of the DOS BASICs, including Quick Basic and
QBasic(lacks Quick Basic's compiler and a few other advanced features).
Visual Basic makes common tasks like option buttons and text boxes
almost trival, but graphics involves the extensive use of Objects. Most
current programming languages combine nested data structures and the
related code for manipulating those stuctures in a combined unit refered
to as an "object".
For a while there were books on the market about elementary Visual Basic
programming that included a "light" version of Visual Basic. Such
books might also be available in college book stores, intended as texts
for programming courses. Those light versions included the ability to
create and compile programs, but lack the ability to create custom
ActiveX controls or automated instalation disks. Strictly speaking, the
versions included with the books don't license the user to distribute
applications produced with them to third parties, as compiled
applications would include copyrighted code modules. The elementary
Visual Basic books don't usually cover the graphic functions you would
need for any games requiring graphics.
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