BASIC is basic

[IanMc]

Let's help each other in this thread, no question is stupid.

Basic4android is not exactly like other iterations of the BASIC language
Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code

I resent the fact that it has 'Beginners' in it.

there is no Let statement in B4a and Erel has obliterated the need to differentiate between Sub and Function, he chose the shorter one , it's just Sub.

Commodore 64 BASIC would make you do:

10 Let A = 1
20 Let A = A + 1

etc.

There is no need for line numbers and today's Erel BASIC is easier to hold 'in your head'

it is in fact a language.

as you learn it you'll learn to hold it in your head and 'speak' it.

which is great because otherwise you'll spend most of your time looking up the things you need to do.

Imagine learning another language, Spanish for example, when you start you keep forgetting the words and you keep looking them up, frustrating.

Ok, I'm done for now.

Questions?

 

[IanMc]

Before I tell you the secrets of how to make fabulous apps for your phone.

I first have to tell you that if you follow my tutorial then I am not very forgiving.

I'm not a nice person.

I'm not your friend.

There is one thing that we need to get out of the way and that is the question of:

Legos v Mechano

Mechano is metal, you screw things together they do not move.

Leggo is plastic, you can melt it, I've done it! and they fall apart when you accidentally move them.

However I do admit that leggo is really easy to get going with and you do kind of get stuck in it once your imagination takes over.

Mechano.... the same but you have to contend with all those fiddly bolts.

and the stupid spanner

I needed to make a machine. I wanted to wind hundreds of coils of wire around a glass tube of a 'reed relay' (look it up) and went to a toy shop because I thought mechano would do it... the nice lady pointed out to me that the box I was holding was 'ok' but I could make many more 'toys' with the next one up.

Oh, forgot to say that I made an Android app that controls microcontrollers and activates relays, a servo and a light.

 

[IanMc]

over bluetooth

 

[sorex]

Even the c64 basic (Microsoft BASIC V2?) didn't require the LET so the reference is not 100% right

 

[LucaMs]

Rarely I quite understand your posts, Ian (they are always a lot of fun).

Is the reason that I do not understand English well or ...
that you do not drink water because you fear that it rusts your stomach?

 

[sorex]

The overload of alcohol now is to flush the rust caused by the water

 

[eps]

One major thing to note is that this basic has it's underpinnings well and truly fastened to Javascript, so it's a bit of a basic java fusion.

 

[IanMc]

excellent replies

Yep, CBM basic did advance the language by making it optional to include the LET statement.

Must've been thinking about ZX81 BASIC

Still we were stuck with line numbers.

Each and every individual line of code required a line number to be typed in!

This, long before Javascript.

It's fun to go back and think of the beginnings and I think educational.

ian

 

[IanMc]

A big thing in the past was the difference between compiled languages and interpreted languages.

Hands up who knows the difference?

Remember there are no stupid answers.

ian

 

[Beja]

Interpreted languages need the IDE of the language to run
Compiled languages don't need that


It's not my fault, you said there are no stupid answers.

 

[MaFu]

Not necessarily the IDE but a runtime environment.

 

[Beja]

Not necessarily the IDE but a runtime environment.

With all due respect... you are smart!

 

[stari]

Before I tell you the secrets of how to make fabulous apps for your phone.

I first have to tell you that if you follow my tutorial then I am not very forgiving.

I'm not a nice person.

I'm not your friend.

There is one thing that we need to get out of the way and that is the question of:

Legos v Mechano

Mechano is metal, you screw things together they do not move.

Leggo is plastic, you can melt it, I've done it! and they fall apart when you accidentally move them.

However I do admit that leggo is really easy to get going with and you do kind of get stuck in it once your imagination takes over.

Mechano.... the same but you have to contend with all those fiddly bolts.

and the stupid spanner

I needed to make a machine. I wanted to wind hundreds of coils of wire around a glass tube of a 'reed relay' (look it up) and went to a toy shop because I thought mechano would do it... the nice lady pointed out to me that the box I was holding was 'ok' but I could make many more 'toys' with the next one up.

Oh, forgot to say that I made an Android app that controls microcontrollers and activates relays, a servo and a light.

I'ts easy to comunicate with microcontrollers over BlueTooth or wiFi. Or, with PC, MAC, other Android,...rtc.

 

[MaFu]

With all due respect... you are smart!

 

[James Chamblin]

Anyone remember these books?
http://www.atariarchives.org/basicgames/
http://www.atariarchives.org/morebasicgames/

Still have both in my collection. Maybe some of those games can be ported to B4A

 

[IanMc]

Atari! how cool.

Android is...... smaller.

It would fit in your pocket if they hadn't invented those darstardly big 'tablets'

Some tablets don't have bluetooth! What were they thinking?

Nah, but my tutorial is for beginners, the folks who discover Basic4android and then go 'oh yeah, I can make a thing, but it don't do much'

Don't worry nubyans, we are here to make your dreams come true!

 

[IanMc]

Basic4android 'views' (controls) are clunky but flexible.

Did you know that you can begin your application with a nice colourful picture?

Set that as the background for your app then kind of 'paint' in the controls that you need which can also be pictures!

like this:

No, not like this, hold on ....

Like this!

See those 'things' over to the right? they are buttons, but with images of 'things' instead of being boring grey boxes.

Bit cooler don't ya think?

The 'Stop' is a button and the arrows are too, just images instead of buttons...and erm... panels instead of buttons coz buttons work weird.

 

[IanMc]

A cheating thing is to limit your app to only be viewed in portrait mode.

I know it's cheating.

You can get it to turn upside down with this clever command:

#SupportedOrientations: sensorPortrait

see, sensorPortrait instead of just Portrait

but it won't turn sideways.

and relax..... ahhhhh.... you don't have to worry too much about skewing your masterpiece all out of proportion.

Told you it'd be fun and not at all forgiving!

 

[Peter Simpson]

I absolutely loved all my Mechano sets when I was younger

 

[Peter Simpson]

10 Print "Peter Simpson"
20 Goto 10
run