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Newcomers DBPro Corner / Some newbie questions for those who know stuff...

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CeeKay
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Posted: 19th Jan 2008 16:53
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Okay, here's my first newbie question. Since I know nothing about programming languages and such:

What's the difference between BASIC and DarkBASIC? Do they translate to each other pretty easily?


Thanks,
- CK

-This Space for Rent-
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=PRoF=
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Posted: 19th Jan 2008 18:50
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The real difference is that DarkBASIC has lots of commands to control DirectX elements in games (3D shapes etc)

You shouldn't have much of a job converting old basic programs to run in DarkBASIC, and then you can spruce them up with nice 3D graphics and stuff.

Without Music or Love the world would be a very empty place... Thank god I still have music.. --'-<@
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Dewi Morgan
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Posted: 19th Jan 2008 19:37
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BASIC is like saying "a romantic language".
DarkBasic is like saying "Spanish"
MSVisualBasic is like saying "Italian"
Spectrum Basic is like saying "French"
QuickBasic is like saying "Catalan".

Yes, all those spoken languages are romantic languages, and knowing one will help you understand the syntax and structure of the others, and allow you to recognise some of the words used. No, they are not the same language, and there is still a learning curve.

Yes, all those programming languages are kinds of BASIC, and knowing one will help you understand the syntax and structure of the others, and allow you to recognise some of the words used. No, they are not the same language, and there is still a learning curve.

Yet another game programmer
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TDK
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Posted: 20th Jan 2008 04:25
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I have to sort of disagree with Dewi Morgan - but only a bit.

BASIC is a 'standard' so all of the above BASIC's he lists have a common core. Which one(s) don't use CLS or Print for example?

A more accurate analogy would be dialects of the same language.

BASIC is like saying "English".
DarkBasic is like saying "English spoken by someone from Necastle"
MSVisualBasic is like saying "English spoken by someone from Liverpool"
Spectrum Basic is like saying "English spoken by someone from London"
QuickBasic is like saying "English spoken by someone from Birmingham".

They all speak English but can all have different ways of saying the same word - or even a different local word altogether for some things. But for all of them the base language of English is the same. Wherever in the UK you come from a car is pronounced 'car'.

His second (and third ) paragraphs I agree with. Once you can use any BASIC like DB, moving to another is relatively easy. The fundamental stuff is the same and you just have to learn the 'extra' commands specific to the new version - which in DB's case is the DirectX 3D side of things.

TDK_Man

* TDK's Game Programming Forums - Open To All - DB & Team Request Boards *

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Dewi Morgan
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Posted: 20th Jan 2008 06:32
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Yeah I considered dialects instead of languages, But I worried that then he might think "Oh, then I can speak DarkBASIC without needing a manual!" (like, "Oh, I can speak to a Geordie without needing a dictionary!")

But while there's enough common language between me and a scouser to communicate effectively without having to look stuff up if we both try to avoid the localised slang, there's probably not enough similarity between different basics to code in DB without whipping out a reference.

Like, VBscript lacks "return"... whuh? And DB (at least, back in 2001, haven't checked recently) used BODMAS priorities.

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Posted: 20th Jan 2008 12:12
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@windowskiller:

Considering Basic and C are both nearly 30-40 years old now, I dare say that they have BOTH changed over the years, taking into account Hardware platforms and other computing innovations. (C was invented in the early 70's but wasn't standardardised until 1989)

@Dewi & TDK:
I didn't say they were all exactly the same language, or that the translate freely and exactly between themselves. I just said that if you have an old BASIC program then you should be able to translate it without too much work. You'd obviously need to thumb through the DBP manual a little to find the correct syntax of commands. But its a good way to learn, especially if you are already familiar with another BASIC.

Without Music or Love the world would be a very empty place... Thank god I still have music.. --'-<@
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TDK
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Posted: 20th Jan 2008 16:14
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Quote: "I didn't say they were all exactly the same language, or that the translate freely and exactly between themselves. I just said that if you have an old BASIC program then you should be able to translate it without too much work. You'd obviously need to thumb through the DBP manual a little to find the correct syntax of commands. But its a good way to learn, especially if you are already familiar with another BASIC."


And I agree 100%!

Quote: "There never was some sort of "standard" BASIC."


Not like the ANSI C standard I know, but there are a good few commands found in the vast majority of BASIC's. The OP was asking about the differences between DB and 'BASIC' (which due to the differences in machines never really existed) and the difficulty involved in migrating from one to the other.

They may be severely limited and essentially text only, but there will be simple programs which can be written in the core BASIC commands of say Atari Basic and would run in Apple Basic, Spectrum Basic, Dark Basic, GFA, GW or practically any other dialect.

So I think we are all giving CeeKay the same answer in slightly different ways.

TDK_Man

* TDK's Game Programming Forums - Open To All - DB & Team Request Boards *

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CeeKay
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Posted: 20th Jan 2008 20:23
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Quote: "Yeah I considered dialects instead of languages, But I worried that then he might think "Oh, then I can speak DarkBASIC without needing a manual!" (like, "Oh, I can speak to a Geordie without needing a dictionary!")
"


Dialects are easy... At least from a native speaker...

I can speak Cockney, Aussie, Kiwi, Texan, New Yorker, and Russian...

As for programming...

I only know enough BASIC to ask where the bathroom is... :p

Thanks, guys! The tutorials sections are proving very very useful! TDK goes further into the subjects than the DBPro included newbie tutorial things.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand...

If I decide to build a game or something with DB, would it be possible to implement scripts and stuff from different programming languages? (say I wanted to write an extra script in Python or C, for example...)


Thanks for all the knowledge!
- CK

-This Space for Rent-
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CeeKay
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Posted: 20th Jan 2008 20:50
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Another question....

Is there a DarkBASIC IRC room or something? It would be nice to chat live with some of you. It would let me ask idiot questions, and you can go "are you serious!? Dude, read X-tutorial." :p


Thanks,
- CK

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