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.
Unsupported QuickBASIC keywords:
- ALIAS
- BYVAL
- CDECL
- COMMAND$
- EVENT
- $INCLUDE
- Int86, Int86X
- Interrupt, InterruptX
- LOCAL
- SADD
- SETMEM
- SIGNAL
- UEVENT
Compatibility
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. A new 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 free 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
- www.rubbermallet.org - A hub of programming info and libraries for programming in QBasic and QuickBasic 4.5
- Code