Pandora Basic Programming For Pandora (Linux)

[leopardpm]

Hi,
I am unfamiliar with linux based stuff and was wondering if there are currently (or will be) and compiled BASIC programming languages available to use with Pandora (perhaps optimized for it)? I have regrettably avoided delving into C for 30 years, but find for most applications (even most games) BASIC is quite enough. I did write a sprite addon for basic in 6502 assembly (because computers were so slow back then) but prefer the high level languages for developing.

Thanks for any responses!

 

[Squidge]

Fenix ? Its an interpreted language focused on 2D video game development.

 

[ashdjones]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_BASIC_dialects_by_platform#Unix_.2F_Linux

If it's ARM compatible then you're good to go (I assume).

 

[iprice]

GLBasic will be available too - that's a compiled BASIC style language that offers 2/3D.

 

[ashdjones]

GLBasic will be available too - that's a compiled BASIC style language that offers 2/3D.

Looks good - I was perusing the examples and found THIS. Whoever made that deserves a massive high five! Works really well with mouse control.

 

[leopardpm]

Thanks guys! I just also checked my current fav flavor, FreeBasic, and it has a linux version and apparently a wrapper for the 3D irrlicht engine. I am programming in LUA on the PSP now, and though fun, it is a bit slow (an interpreted, script language)... as long as I have access to all the nifty hardware (touchscreen input, gamepad input, etc) I will be happier than a clam. I wonder if that game programming language, DarkBasic, is possible? That would be sweet, but, alas, it does have a cost (not much, but...).

I will check out your suggestions!

Also I came across XST Basic ver 2 which has 3D built-in (through irrlicht also), but is only in the process of coming out with a Linux ver. The main feature I like about it is that it apparently compiles to a C source code then copiles that... so you can embed C directly into your Basic program for any routines which need the optimization and use Basic for the stupid , easy stuff. Seems to be a great way for folks like me to learn C while still being able to use our Basic knowledge and familiarity.

 

[lulzfish]

Nah, I think DarkBasic uses DirectX, so that's not happening. Not without an impossible amount of busy-work converting DX code to OGL/ES.

 

[samuraicrow]

There is a guy working on porting DarkGDK to AmigaOS 4.x which uses a subset of OpenGL. When he's done it shouldn't be too much bother putting a parser on the front end of it and making AmiDARK engine work on Linux. The trouble will be for the discrepencies between OpenGL and OpenGL-ES.

While we're on the subject, I'm working on a parser generator capable of multipass compilation so a 2-pass BASIC compiler will be possible using LLVM. When we get LLVM working on Pandora, I'll happily post here.

 

[hobbyman II]

Lee Bamber was several times asked to port Dark Basic to Linux, but he always refused, since DB isn`t open source, I doubt there's much chance of getting a version compiled for Pandora, someone on the forums demoed an early version of a OpenGL hack for DB, but it never went anywhere afaik, DB MAY run under WINE, I haven't been on the DB forums for a long time now, someone was trying to get it to run.

the only issue I have with Germot's GLbasic is that the IDE is a windows application, but it does run under WINE, you have Gambas as the main Linux "BASIC", it supports SDL and OpenGL, but it's too high level for me, I like a more basic BASIC, black screen, flashing cursor, no graphic interface designer, no event driven rubbish, heaven (I just can't grok the C family at any intuitive level, too much abstraction or something, assembler is easier tbh) .

 

[Dunny]

I like a more basic BASIC, black screen, flashing cursor, no graphic interface designer, no event driven rubbish, heaven (I just can't grok the C family at any intuitive level, too much abstraction or something, assembler is easier tbh) .

You'd get on well with the OS I'm coding then, though it's a grey one with black text... It basically boots directly into BASIC and starts in seconds.

D.

 

[ashdjones]

I like a more basic BASIC, black screen, flashing cursor, no graphic interface designer, no event driven rubbish, heaven (I just can't grok the C family at any intuitive level, too much abstraction or something, assembler is easier tbh) .

You'd get on well with the OS I'm coding then, though it's a grey one with black text... It basically boots directly into BASIC and starts in seconds.

D.

Sounds interesting. Is there a website with more info? Can I try it?

 

[Chip]

You'd get on well with the OS I'm coding then, though it's a grey one with black text... It basically boots directly into BASIC and starts in seconds.

You're writing the original Apple II OS?

 

[Dunny]

I like a more basic BASIC, black screen, flashing cursor, no graphic interface designer, no event driven rubbish, heaven (I just can't grok the C family at any intuitive level, too much abstraction or something, assembler is easier tbh) .

You'd get on well with the OS I'm coding then, though it's a grey one with black text... It basically boots directly into BASIC and starts in seconds.

D.

Sounds interesting. Is there a website with more info? Can I try it?

It'll be made available when it's ready. Currently it boots, but you can't do much with it - we've not been working on it long (although it was first announced in 2006, we've been doing lots of other stuff since then). When it's done it will be x86 only, but OSS so if folks want to port it then they can give it a try. It doesn't run executable files, just BASIC (though machine code stubs should be possible). We're looking at eventually getting a multitasking BASIC interpreter going. It has a 640x480x8bpp screen resolution with sprite handling and primitive drawing at the driver level. Basically, you could do some nice little games in it but nothing like Quake

Advanced graphics and sound are not the point of this OS - a re-visiting of the old days when computers booted straight to BASIC and could be programmed by anybody.

The BASIC is based mostly on Sinclair BASIC (as is the look and feel of the OS), with extensions to support up to 65535 commands. I don't know how well the Pandora could run it; probably very fast indeed.

I will announce it when it's done, but that's at least 6 months away yet. If you want an idea of what it will do, then go download BASin (STFW) and look at the editor in that.

D.

 

[darien]

QBasic was hilarious back in the day. I remember the first time I even heard of a library for it, it was Future.Library. I laughed my ass off and then awed at the svga graphics and 24 bit color. I was literally hysterical over the smaller pixels.

 

[JayFoxRox]

Lee Bamber was several times asked to port Dark Basic to Linux, but he always refused, since DB isn`t open source, I doubt there's much chance of getting a version compiled for Pandora, someone on the forums demoed an early version of a OpenGL hack for DB, but it never went anywhere afaik, DB MAY run under WINE, I haven't been on the DB forums for a long time now, someone was trying to get it to run.

the only issue I have with Germot's GLbasic is that the IDE is a windows application, but it does run under WINE, you have Gambas as the main Linux "BASIC", it supports SDL and OpenGL, but it's too high level for me, I like a more basic BASIC, black screen, flashing cursor, no graphic interface designer, no event driven rubbish, heaven (I just can't grok the C family at any intuitive level, too much abstraction or something, assembler is easier tbh) .

As a DB Pro, DB Classic and 3D Gamemaker owner I have to say that the money I invested in these products was wasted..
All of these have horrible bugs in them and make writing games a pain in the ass.
The only good thing about it is, that I learned how to write my own engine by using it as some sort of guideline for abstraction and that it kept me interested in making games.
I guess you know that Gambas supports console applications? You can also use the interpreter on its own without the IDE. And if you are that strict you could say that every application is event driven as it receives a "start" event - you can also work without other events, no-one forces you to use them.