QBasic

QBasic is an integrated development environment for the BASIC language.

It basically consists of a version of QuickBASIC for DOS without the compiler and linker but keeps the included IDE with an integrated online help.

Compatibility
Unsupported QuickBASIC keywords:
 * ALIAS
 * BYVAL
 * CDECL
 * COMMAND$
 * EVENT
 * $INCLUDE
 * Int86, Int86X
 * Interrupt, InterruptX
 * LOCAL
 * SADD
 * SETMEM
 * SIGNAL
 * UEVENT

BASICA programs will not run with QBasic. In order to run a BASICA program with QBasic, a BASICA program has to be saved in ASCII mode. Some BASICA commands may also require changes. An updated version of BASICA was shipped with IBM DOS Version 5.00. This one is compatible with previous versions of BASICA (from previous DOS versions).


 * Other software products incompatibilities
 * Qualitas BlueMAX Version 5.10 (requires utility from vendor to fix issue)

Versions

 * Microsoft QBasic
 * 1991: Version 1.0 - replaced GW-BASIC in MS-DOS 5 as the included BASIC interpreter
 * 1992: Version 1.1 - supplied with MS-DOS 6 and all versions of Windows NT. A stripped down version of 1.1 that lacks the editor and a full version of QBasic 1 are both included with all the shipped Windows 95 branch for some reason rather than a full version of 1.1.


 * IBM DOS QBasic
 * 1991: Version 1.0 - IBM recompiled the code for their IBM DOS Version 5. This version had a couple of bug fixes that are not present in Microsoft's version 1.0. It's included with IBM DOS versions 5.00/5.02 and with OS/2 2.0 and all later releases. QBasic (and also BASICA) was no longer shipped with PC DOS Version 6.1 which became available in November 1993.

Tools

 * Editor support
 * Boxer - QBasic syntax highlighting support built in - Commercial - DOS and OS/2 versions discontinued, Win32 version still sold.

Publications

 * S16G-4559-00: DOS 5.02 Technical Reference
 * Michael Halvorson; David Rygmyr: Running MS-DOS QBasic - Microsoft Press 1991, ISBN 1-55615-340-6
 * Kris Jamsa: MS-DOS QBASIC: Microsoft Quick Reference - Microsoft Press 1991, ISBN 1-55615-355-4
 * Greg Perry: QBasic by Example - Que 1993, ISBN 1-56529-439-4

Links

 * ZP91-0432 (1991-06-11) - IBM DOS Version 5.00 and Upgrade


 * Code
 * How to read DBF files with QBasic