Where can I find a QBasic compiler that works with....

[julioykaly]

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to know where can I find a QBasic compiler that would work with Windows XP Professional? I had my copy of QBasic working but for some reason it is going crazy on my machine. Can anybody help!

Thanks

[Rattrapmax6]

You can get FreeBASIC,.. that works on almost all machines:

Win98-XP, Linux, & 32Bit DOS,..

:wink: Plus its free if you didn't notice,. also 99% like QBasic...

[Moneo]

That's correct, Ratt. I've got the Quickbasic 4.5 compiler running under MSDOS with Windows XP Professional, and have not run into any problems with the compiler nor the generated executables for at least 2 years.
*****

[julioykaly]

Hello everyone again.

I'm getting an error message for the 3D Tutorials, with the file stars.bas. The error message is:

[source]
Error before "(": Array not dim!
LAYER = VARSEG(Vpage(0)) + 1 'Buffer Seg(Ask Plasma)
[/source]

But, above it, it has:

[source]
REDIM SHARED Vpage(32009) AS INTEGER 'our buffer
[/source]

What could be the problem!

Thanks!

[whitetiger0990]

Did you just open up qb4.5

or did you put "/L" on the command line?

You need to load the magically lib thingy. blehbleh ask someone else to explain better. I'm on linux now.

[Ralph]

That's correct, Ratt. I've got the Quickbasic 4.5 compiler running under MSDOS with Windows XP Professional, and have not run into any problems with the compiler nor the generated executables for at least 2 years.
*****

"...running under MSDOS..." Could you explain this further? I see a ray of hope for me in this.

[na_th_an]

I bet he means the NTVDM (NT Virtual DOS Machine), which is a virtual machine that behaves (sorta) like MSDOS. It runs MSDOS programs but it traps every interruption. Those interruptions are handled by windows emulating devices that you could access directly in MSDOS, that's why it is a bit slower in some cases than plain MSDOS.

Windows XP doesn't have MSDOS. All it has is a command line interpreter that can be ran writing "cmd" in the RUN dialog (which pops out by presing Windows+R or selecting it from the start menu) and pressing enter. That looks like MSDOS; but it isn't. It's just a command line interpreter for Windows. You can run wether Windows or MSDOS programs from the command line interpreter. Windows will decide how to run it: directly or thru' the NTVDM if it is a MSDOS program.

There's nothing mysterious, the NTVDM it is what Windows XP uses to run MSDOS stuff, so you don't have to activate nor configure anything. Just double click on the EXE. If it doesn't work, right-click the exe and fiddle with the properties.

[Ralph]

Thank you, Na_th_an, for your information, but :-?

I hit the Windows key, and R
opened the Command prorgram I saw there, then went to my QuickBASIC directory, opened QuickBASIC.exe, clicked on File, Open, and clicked on STAR.BAS. The screen went to full-screen size, stayed dark (while trying to get the graphics up and running?) for a few seconds, then I say the beautiful STAR...for a few seconds, then QB minimized!

The above is exactly what happens if I simply open, in my normal Windows XP screen, QB, click on File, Open, and click on STAR.BAS, or any other QB program that has a SCREEN 12 or 13 command in it. Exactly.

So, I am still in my old quandry! What should I try next?

[anarky]

IF QB doesn't crash the whole system when I run it, it doesn't update on the monitor. I can type, move the mouse, but see no change. Window or full screen. Which is why i have left it for dead. FreeBasic is for me.

>anarky

[Ralph]

Na_th_an:
Any hope for me?

Anarky:
Yes, I agree with you, if QB doesn't work properly on XP, give it up. However, I keep getting these people that say that it works fine on their computer, so, I keep trying to find out how.

I have tried FB, but, it doesn't seem, to me, to be nearly as friendly as QB. Also, the FBIde.exe has some foreground and background colors that, to my bad eyes, really puts a strain on me to see what is there.

So, I go by the saying, "Hope springs eternally from the human breast!", and hope I can get where others report they are!

Now, if EVERYBODY agreed that QB and XP don't mix... But, that is not the case.