New Features Request

[Steve Rusich]

You are doing a great job, Paul!

New Features Request:

1 - Simple classes. If it was like a UDT with functions it would be all I need.

2- Winsock wrapper.

Thanks.

[Mike Stefanik]

I'm sure Paul will speak to this, but from what he's mentioned before, EBasic will probably not have object-oriented features. Of course, he has the right to change his mind.

You might want to check out Aurora, which is Paul's object-oriented language. It's similar to C++, but easier to get into.

[barry]

I'd like to have the ability to set a default target.  I do a console something or other every now and then but nearly always I want to do a windows program.  So it would be real nice if there was an option to make that the default.  Probably others would like to set console app as the default.

Barry

[Steve Rusich]

I'd like to have the ability to set a default target.ÂÃ,  I do a console something or other every now and then but nearly always I want to do a windows program.ÂÃ,  So it would be real nice if there was an option to make that the default.ÂÃ,  Probably others would like to set console app as the default.

Barry

This option to configure a default target would really be convenient if it was available from the IDE menubar.

[barry]

It just occurred to me that an even better way to specify the type of executable, windows, console, etc would be with a directive in the code itself.

Barry

[Barney]

This thread reminded me of Paul's plans for IBPro 2.0, so it would be nice if he can tell us what parts of those plans will perhaps appear in EBasic. I am primarily thinking about a nice implementation of the event model where one would use commands like:

ON BUTTON Button1 @CLICK CALL Button1ProcedureOrFunction(parm1, parm2,...,parmn)
ON LABEL Label1 @ENTER CALL Label1EnterProcedure()

Barney

[Ionic Wind Support Team]

Most of what was planned for 2.0 was implemented with Aurora.  The CWindow class has all of those OnXXX handlers.

[Ionic Wind Support Team]

However I should note that many things are in the works for Emergence BASIC.  Some things you will see within a version like enumerations and unions, which I am porting from the Aurora parser.  Obviously the IDE is quite different and will be even more so when the lexer for scintilla is finished.

It just occurred to me that an even better way to specify the type of executable, windows, console, etc would be with a directive in the code itself.

Wouldn't work for projects where you can have hundreds of source files.  Maybe for a lesser language that only supported single file compiling with no options, no import libraries, no static libraries, etc.  Besides you only have to pick the target once, it does save all of your choices for successive compiles.

Some might ask why have a console mode at all, well if you are writing a true text mode application for say a CGI application then you want STDIO to be able to be redirected.  Something you can't really do easily when Windows gets involved.  A windows executable doesn't get assigned standard input/output handles by the OS. 

Paul.

[barry]

It could work if it was in the file with the $main directive.

I'm glad the console mode is there.  It's a lot easier to do useful little tools there when they're needed.

Having to select the target is a pretty minor irritation most of the time but at times such as when you want to try out all the example programs looking for a certain one it's a serious pain in whichever part of the anatomy you choose to refer to.

Now that I'm starting to use projects I've run into another irritation: with a project it asks me every time if I want to save the source file before it compiles.  Without a project it doesn't.  This would be another good place to let us set a default action or at least let it save automatically.

Barry

[Ionic Wind Support Team]

I guess it is a matter of preference.  But it is something I will look into changing.

[Ionic Wind Support Team]

Some other upcoming changes include allowing alternate forms of the END directives.  To be more compatible with other BASICs Emergence, in V1.6, allows using END SUB, END WHILE, etc.  The single word form is still allowed of course to remain compatible with IBasic Pro.

I know, it is a small change, but important for users converting their code from other languages

Also I am working on simple sound generation, for both Aurora and Emergence, which is something Windows sorely lacks.  The start of which is a Sound command that allows specifying channel, frequencey and duration.  And I will be expanding that to allow specifying ADSR envelopes. 

Later,
Paul.

[acelli]

I have a modest request.ÂÃ,  Two pairs of buttons.ÂÃ,  One indent, un-indent.ÂÃ,  The second remark, un-remark.

Thanks,
Alan Elliott

[Brice Manuel]

Most of what was planned for 2.0 was implemented with Aurora.  The CWindow class has all of those OnXXX handlers.

I am really looking forward to any improvements of EBASIC's messaging system

The start of which is a Sound command that allows specifying channel, frequencey and duration.

Am I correct in assuming this will be able to be used to create retro sounds/music for games?  If so that will be great.

[paravantis]

Acelli,

The indent/unindent function is there; select a few lines of code and press TAB for indent or SHIFT-TAB for unindent.

The remark/unremark function though is NOT implemented (at least not to my knowledge) and I agree with you that it is greatly missed!

Finally, Paul, do not touch the console mode! I do most of my programming in console mode because I don't really care about a GUI! It's nice to know that the GUI functionality is there but the console mode in the best and quickest way of achieving results.

John

[talun]

The remark/unremark function though is NOT implemented (at least not to my knowledge) and I agree with you that it is greatly missed!

Yes, but it is very comfortable and simpler to use the characters \* *\ for remarking whole blocks of text.

bye

Sergio

[paravantis]

Good point Sergio!

(incidentally, it is /* and */, i.e. regular, not inverse slash)

[GWS]

Hi JP ..

I was curious about this guy in Greece, who was into all the scientific stuff - so I looked you up and read your paper on Greek Railways ..ÂÃ, 

It's amazing how similar our careers have been .. I started in Operational Research with an Electricity Board - moved into Computing and Engineering IT - then To British Railways Research in simulation and economics - and finally to Staffordshire University in the Computing Department.

I'm retired now - but how close is that?ÂÃ, 

best wishes,

Graham

[paravantis]

Graham,

Wow! You sound like a sister soul to me! And how nice of you to drop a line.

I an a Civil Engineer (from the National Technical University of Athens) and hold an MSc degree in Transportation and a PhD degree in Environmental Health both from Northwestern University (Chicago). My research revolves around the application of modeling and simulation principles in the solution of environmental end energy issues of technological problems (just ran out of breath)! The funny thing is that, just like you, I have now found a home at an IT department!

Incidentally, you may find a couple of OR journal papers of mine at www.sciencedirect.com ; one has a nice algorithmic component and may be of interest.

Well, no kidding, eBasic gets people together doesn't it! Paul, if we can convince some female programmers to post messages here, you could turn this into a ...dating service so that bachelor members could two at the price of one!

[acelli]

Thanks for the replies.  I already knew about the TAB, SHIFT-TAB and the block comment /*  */.  I have just become accustom to using these two pairs buttons in other editors.  The subject was "New Features Request", so if other people find these two pairs of buttons useful, speak up and maybe Paul will include them in version 1.6 

Thanks,
Alan Elliott

[maurice1]

One hopefully minor suggestion is for the "find" and "find/replace"  tools to remember the last entered text and better still have a dropdown of current session entered  text.

Great work in developing Ebasic by the way!

[John S]

Paul,
I don't know if anyone has made this request yet so here it is:

Can you make the Find/Replace function in the Ebasic IDE work like that in Aurora's IDE - where it automatically goes to find the next instance after your "replace".

[Ionic Wind Support Team]

That functionality comes with the Scintilla addition.

[J B Wood (Zumwalt)]

Please add this to the request:

Remove Floor and Ceiling and replace them with LBound and UBound.
I use Floor and Ceiling in my RPG as literally the Floor and the Ceiling.

[Zen]

Somewhat drastic request isnt it Jonathan? Remove core commands lol. Would it not be easier to rename your functions?

Lewis

[Ionic Wind Support Team]

Floor and Ceiling are math commands, and are standard in almost all languages.  They have nothing to do with bounds