ScriptO2

[JRS]

I've decided to get the ball rolling and get ScriptO2 version 1.0 assembled. The first version will use existing O2 / DLLC resources and will be a name change / repackaging job. I will setup a public BitBucket repository for the project. My hope is Mike will find this interesting and contribute.

I plan to use libscriba (SB in a DLL) which should make version 1.0 of ScriptO2 about 50 KB.

[JRS]

Update

It looks like I'm going alone on this effort to merge Script BASIC with O2. The good news is ScriptO2 already exists, just has too much junk in the trunk in it's current form.

I'm unfortunately extremely busy with real life projects so this will be a labor of love when I find a moment.

[JRS]

ScriptO2 offers everything that Script BASIC does plus the following O2 features.

• JIT virtual DLL functions and subs that are multi-line strings in your program.
• FFI with dynamic definitions with low level COM support.
• BSTR, WIDE with ASCII conversation.
• Define / access C structures In memory via a pointer. (peek/poke too)
• Access to the interpreters functions/subs and variables from O2 code.

I plan to include the SWIG to DLLC FFI definition utility with SciptO2 1.0.

[Mike Lobanovsky]

BSTR, WIDE with ASCII conversation.

Mmm... WCHAR?.. Conversion?..

... SciptO2 1.0.

Shouldn't there be some ScriptO2 0.1 first just for starters?

[JRS]

That should have been BSTR to SB string conversion.

Going for 1.0 might be slightly aggressive.

[JRS]

With the speed of today's computers, what type of applications justify using ASM? (via O2)

When I run Scipt BASIC code I'm seeing microsecond execution speeds. Most apps aren't rotating pinecones but doing data entry and reporting. Have we exceeded fast and it's now a moot point?

Personally, I see O2 shinning as an interpretive language booster until it matures and isn't so low level.

[JRS]

The advantage of using O2 as SB's extension API rather than the existing C API is you can extend your code dynamically at ASM speeds using milti-line O2 code text strings in your SB script.

I'm reserving the C extension API for integrating open source popular libraries.

[JRS]

Script BASIC is a comfortable set of clothes O2 can wear now until it stops growing and starts wearing its own.

[JRS]

So how can your SB elaborations help the O2 developer or user's immediate needs?

It lets the user frame out their project in SB and externally enhance it using O2 JIT, dynamic FFI or the SB C extension API.

[JRS]

I really don't see a huge difference between what Brian is doing with O2 and the ScriptO2 effort.

[JRS]

All compliant BASICs should, as a minimum, be able to run Dartmouth code as-is. All more advanced features of the language are just dialect-specific extensions, regretfully, non-standardized up till now.

A good example of compliant BASIC is your hateful Script BASIC that runs the code snippets from the book I quoted earlier without a single change (except for the DATA/READ commands that wouldn't be hard to fix if need be). There are some other dialects that are able to do the same with equal ease.

And if O2 isn't able to read and execute Dartmouth code (directly or with a dedicated, special-purpose include file) as flawlessly, then I am afraid O2 cannot be called a compliant BASIC, regardless of its versatility and polymorphism.

Dartmouth is the definition of BASIC. It has all the constructs of a functional language. Most languages still use core BASIC as a foundation to their language variation.

If you want to run a modern version of Dartmouth BASIC, PvxPlus.com (ProvideX Business BASIC) offers a single user version of the language for non-commercial use for free.

Script BASIC that runs the code snippets from the book I quoted earlier without a single change (except for the DATA/READ commands)

SB SPLIT does a DATA/READ in one statement. 

There are some other dialects that are able to do the same with equal ease

I'm pretty sure the Quick BASIC language could run Dartmouth out of the box.

150 BASIC Variations


  Dartmouth BASIC  (the original)
  ANSI Standard Minimal Basic (specification X3.60-1978)
  ISO Standard Minimal Basic (specification ISO 6373-1984 (E))
  ANSI Standard Full Basic (specification X3.113-1987)
  True Basic
  Decimal Basic
 
  VAX BASIC
  DEC BASIC
  BASIC Plus
 
  MAI Basic Four Business Basic
  Data General Business Basic
  AlphaBasic
  Visual PRO/5 (Basis)
  MicroShare Basic
  ProvideX (Sybex Ltd.)
  OpenBASIC
  SMBasic
  Thoroughbred Basic
  Universal Business Basic
  UniBasic
  THEOS (Business) Basic
  Wang BASIC-2
  KCML (Kerridge Computer Company Ltd.)
 
  HP Basic
  Rocky Mountain Basic (Hewlett Packard)
  BTI Basic (Basic Timesharing)
 
  Palo Alto Tiny BASIC
  Altair BASIC
  Processor Technology BASIC
  Northstar BASIC
  VIP Basic (Cosmac ELF 1802)
  Apple I Integer Basic
  Apple Integer Basic - Apple II
  TRS-80 Level-I Basic
  TRS-80 Color Computer Basic (MS)
  Disk Extended Color Computer 3 Basic
  CoCo Extended Color BASIC
  Atari Basic (400/800)
  Commodore PET Basic
  Benton Harbor BASIC (Heathkit)
  Timex Sinclair 1000 (ZX80) Basic
  Sinclair ZX81 Basic
  Sinclair Spectrum Basic
  Sinclair QL Basic
  Acorn Atom Basic
  BBC Basic
  Dragon Basic
  Basic09 (OS-9)
 
  Commodore Basic (VIC-20, C64)
  BASIC v7.0 from Commodore 128
  TI-BASIC (for TI-99/4A)
 
  ST Basic   (AtariST)
  STOS Basic (AtariST)
  dBASIC     (DTACK/Atari)
 
  ALTAIR BASIC (Gates & Allen)
  BASIC (for CP/M)
  BASICA
  GWBASIC (for PCDOS)
  MS BASIC (for non-PC compatible MSDOS)
  GFA Basic (AtariST, Amiga, DOS, MS-Windows)
  QuickBASIC
  QBASIC
  VB/DOS
  Visual Basic
  Visual BASIC for Applications (VBA)
  BasicScript (VBScript)
  Visual Basic .NET
 
  AppleSoft Basic - Apple II+
  TRS-80 Level-II (MS Basic)
  Level-3 Basic
  Basic cartridge for Exidy Sorcerer
  Macintosh Basic (MS)
  MS QuickBasic for Macintosh
 
  Apple MacBasic (never sold)
  ZBasic
  FutureBasic

  NS Basic ( Apple Newton , WinCE, PalmOS)
  LBasic ( for a 8-bit computer 'Laser') ( Amstrad? )
  Casio Basic ( for Casio 80's digital diary )
  Chipmunk BASIC (for Mac and Unix)
  cbasPad ( for USR PalmPilot )
  HotPaw Basic (PalmOS)
  CrossBasic (Mac)
  SC-Basic (Mac)
  VIP-Basic (Mainstay)
  ACE Basic (Amiga)
  AMOS Basic (Amiga)
  AmigaBasic
 
  Summsoft Basic
  Oracle Power Objects Basic
  Pick/BASIC
  NetBasic

  CBASIC (Digital Research)
  SBASIC (Came with many KAYPRO's)
  Turbo BASIC (Borland?)
 
  Bywater Basic (unix)
  YABasic (unix)
  SmallBasic (linux/PalmOS)
  FreeBasic
  wxBasic
  Blassic
  Dunfield MBasic
  GBasic (DOS)
  qb2c
  dds (obfuscated source interpreter)
  dds (obfuscated source compiler)
  JavaBasic
  Hot Tea Basic (java)
  JBasic    - (java)
  COCOA Basic   (java)
 
  Moonrock BASIC
  Liberty BASIC
  Just BASIC
  UBASIC (high precision)
  ASIC
  O'Basic95
  First Basic
  PowerBASIC
  ScriptBasic (Peter Verhas)
 
  XBASIC (Basmark)
  Basic (Intel, 8051)
 
  Array Basic
  M-BASIC    for CP/M ?
  Basic BHT (To read bar codes ?)
  GB Basic (Game Boy)
  Flash Basic
  Enable Basic - a TurboCAD V3.0 script language
  Shepardson Basic
 
  Access Module Basic
  GBASIC
  BasicBasic
  APBasic
 
  BASIC PRO/5
  BASIS BB/x Progression 2,3,4
  Basic11
  BasicX
  BlitzBasic
  DarkBasic
  Envelop BASIC
  GEM Basic
  GS BASIC
  GaBASIC
  Gammasoft BASIC
  MBASIC
  MSX Basic
  NewBasic
  NewBrain BASIC
  Omikron Basic
  OmniBASIC
  PBasic
  Pluto Business BASIC
  PureBasic
  RealBasic
  UltraBasic
  X/TEND Business BASIC for the AS/400
  X11-Basic

  Tiny Pasic  (typo ??)
 
  CARealizer   - (??)
  Force (Half BASIC, mixed with a little C and Pascal)
  UDF - industrial BASIC for control systems (HVAC)

  A BASIC - ??
  Rapid-Q ?
  NIAKWA ?
  UBB, U/BL, B32 (from Data General)
  Kelly's BASIC ?


The reason you have my respect Mike is the truth means something to you.

[Mike Lobanovsky]

Thank you, John.

But to tell you the ultimate truth, there are even more BASICs than there are entries in your rather comprehensive BASIC dialect list.

[Charles Pegge]

I wonder how many are Basic compilers?

[JRS]

PB and O2 are the only BASIC compilers I have ever used. There have been a few B2C translators but most have been interpreters.

I don't view pcode based languages like VB a compiler.

[JRS]

I think the point everyone is missing is it isn't about Script BASIC code, it's about SB running BASIC code no matter what BASIC it was originally created under.

If BASIC isn't of interest to people, why are there so many variations of the language?

If SDK style programming is your thing, O2 in it's current form is a great option.