QBasic 4.5 .lib files

[Valerie]

I know how to list the contents of the .lib files - does anyone know where to find a description of what each routine does please?

[Radical Raccoon]

I think you need documentation from whoever created the .lib file. I've made my own .lib files before, and if I don't document myself what the routines do then I'll forget in the future. When they are created, there aren't any requirements of preferences for adding descriptions, so I would assume that there are none.

[Valerie]

Sorry - once again I didn't make myself clear enough. The .lib files are Brun45.lib and Bcom45.lib which come bundled with QBasic ver 4.5. I thought someone would know where to get a description of what each routine does. Mebbe Bill was secretive even in the days when QB 4.5 was written?

Thanks

[DrV]

Try running BC on some test .BAS files, specifying a .LST file - that'll show you which functions get called by which commands. You can also probably tell at least a little bit by the name of the function, though it's tough to get much out of four characters.

EDIT: oh, don't forget to specify /a to BC to include the assembly instructions in the listing

[Antoni Gual]

In the Ethan Winer's book there are some useful internal functions explained.
http://www.ethanwiner.com/ETHAN.ZIP

[Valerie]

DrV - Thanks, have already done what you suggested and got some interesting results. A few of the function names are almost self explanatory about what the functions do, it's the more obscure ones I wanted to find out about.

Antoni G - Thank you too, I've had a copy of Ethan Winer's book for some time, I'll have to re-read some of it. Of course, being lazy, I expected that someone else would have produced a listing of function names and their purpose.

Thanks to all

V...