bb.doc

basic interpreter for learning

             errors.  Selecting an error in the error window will
             cause the corresponding source line to become the first
             line in the edit window.  The Options Menu contains an
             item, 'Error Window' which will remove the error window
             when you no longer need the errors displayed.


          TRANSFER MENU

             The transfer menu contains one entry.  This is the
             'Icon Editor'.  Using the $ICON metacommand you can
             assign a Windows Icon to your program.  The icon editor
             allows you to create the icon.  See the section on
             'Program Icon' for more information.


          RUNTIME ERRORS

            While executing a program you have entered you may
          receive a runtime error message.  The message will have
          two numbers; the first being an error number and the
          second being a runtime error address.  This manual
          contains a list of error numbers.  The runtime error
          address will show you what line had the error.

            Each time you compile your program BasicBasic creates a
          file which shows the runtime address for each line.  You
          can examine this file with the BasicBasic editor to find
          which line contains the address the address at which the
          runtime error occurs.  The file BasicBasic creates has the
          extension .TMP.  For example if you compile the program
          SAMPLE1.BAS, then BasicBasic will create the file
          SAMPLE1.TMP, which will have the runtime addresses.

          (Occasionaly you might want to delete all .TMP files from
          your BasicBasic directory to conserve disk space.)

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                  Copyright (c) 1992, 1993 by Mark Davidsaver






          TOO BIG

          If you write very large programs there may not be room in
          memory to compile your program while the editor is
          running.  If you receive an error message saying not
          enough memory to compile you may need to exit the editor
          and compile seperately.  See the section of Seperate
          Compilation for instructions.

          IMPORTANT:  To run programs compiled with BasicBasic the
          runtime module must be present.  For Windows this is the
	  file WBBL152.EXE.









































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                  Copyright (c) 1992, 1993 by Mark Davidsaver






          STATEMENT AND FUNCTION REFERENCE
          -------------------------------------------------------

          Here is a brief description of available functions and
          statements.  More detailed information on those not unique
          to BasicBasic can be found in standard Basic reference
          books.



          ABS(numericexpression)

            This function returns the absolute value of the numeric
            expression.



          ADDSUBMENU  menunumber,stringexpression,keycode

            Addsubmenu adds an item to a pull down menu with the
            text stringexpression.  When the user selects this menu
            item the keycode will be returned at the next INKEY$
            function call.  See the section 'Programming Menus' for
            more details



          ASC(string expression)

            This function returns a numerical value which is the
            ASCII code for the first character of string expression.



          ATN(numeric expression)

            This function returns the arctangent of a numeric
            expression.



          BEEP

            This statement sounds the ASCII bell character.



          BITMAPC(filename,longinteger array)

            This function returns colors values for a disk file
            device independent bitmap.

            e.g.     A=BITMAPC("C:\WINDOWS\CARS.BMP",COLORS&(0))
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                  Copyright (c) 1992, 1993 by Mark Davidsaver






            Each element of the array COLORS& will contain one RGB
            color value up to the total colors available (see
            BITMAPH).  See the section BITMAPS for further
            information.



          BITMAPH(filename,longinteger array)


            This function returns the bitmap header from a file
            device independent bitmap.

            e.g.   A=BITMAPC("C:\WINDOWS\CARS.BMP",HEADER&(0))

            The data returned are:

                0 - size of bitmapinfoheader
                1 - width in pixels
                2 - height in pixels
                3 - always 1
                4 - color bits per pixel
                5 - compression flag
                6 - total bytes in image

            See the section BITMAPS for further information.



          CALL name [arguments]

            This statement transfers control to a BASIC SUB
            procedure.  Arguments may be any valid BasicBasic data
            type.  Arrays are specified with empty parenthesis.

            here is an example of a CALL statement.

                   a=2
                   b=3
                   call sum(a,b)
                   stop

               sub sum(x,y)
                   print x+y
               end sub

            The EXIT SUB statement may be used to exit a procedure
            at any time.  You may not transfer control out of the
            prodecure except with the END SUB or EXIT SUB
            statements.

            In this version of BasicBasic procedures do not have
            access to common variables.
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          CBUTTON "name",keycode,0,"type",0,left,top,xsize,ysize,
                  forecolor,backcolor

            This command defines and creates a button on screen.
            This command is DOS and Windows compatible.  In screen
            mode 0 left,top,xsize,ysize are in character units.  In
            graphics screen modes these must be supplied in pixel
            units.  The name is the text which will be displayed in
            the button.  When you define a button you must define
            the keycode which will be returned when that button is
            pressed by the user.  Legal button types are "Radio",
            "Push" or "Invisible".  Left, top, xsize, ysize define
            the position and size of the button(in character
            position).  Radio buttons may have a foreground and
            background color defined.  If these are left 0 then the
            default colors will be used.  In DOS the colors are also
            used for Pushbuttons.

            When the user presses the button the indicated keycode
            will be returned to the INKEY$ function.  If a button is
            pressed while executing the INPUT command the input will
            be ended, but the keycode will not be returned until a
            subsequent INKEY$ function is called.  Instead of using
            the mouse to press the indicated button, the user can
            also press the keyboard key which returns the indicated
            keycode.

            Any key may be defined for a button.  See the section
            "Keyboard codes" for a list of codes recognized by
            BasicBasic.  As an example the uppercase letter 'A'
            would be the keycode 65.  Extended keycodes are
            indicated by adding 1000 to the second part of the code.
            For example F1 would be 1059, or F10 would be 1068.

              e.g. CBUTTON "Exit",1068,"Push",0,1,1,8,1,7,4

                   Creates a push button on the top line.  Because
                   it is a Push button the color values are ignored
                   in windows, but used in DOS.

            See RADIOON and RADIOOFF and CHECKON and CHECKOFF for
            instructions on checking/unchecking radio and check
            buttons.

            See the section "Programming Buttons" for more detail on
            programming buttons.

            Note that while CBUTTON creates a button it will not
            respond to the mouse button until the function MOUSEON
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                  Copyright (c) 1992, 1993 by Mark Davidsaver





            has been issued.

            SAMPLE5.BAS and SAMPLE6.BAS use the CBUTTON command.



          CHAIN  filespec

            This command transfers control from the current program
            to another program.  COMMON may be used to pass
            variables between programs.  Files are left open when
            transfering to another program.  See the section
            'Chaining and Common' for more details.

                e.g.  CHAIN "TEST2.EXE"



          CHDIR drive$

            This statement changes the default directory for the
            specified drive.  CHDIR statement changes the default
            directory, but not the default drive.



          CHDRIVE drive$

            This statement changes the current drive to that given
            in the string expression drive$



          CHECKON keycode

            This command 'checks' the indicated Check button.  See
            the section "Programming Buttons" for more information.



          CHECKOFF keycode

            This command 'unchecks' the indicated Check button.  See
            the section "Programming Buttons" for more information.
            

          CHR$(numeric expression)

            This function returns the ASCII code for the numeric
            expression.  The returned code is one character.



          CIRCLE [STEP](x1,y),radius,[color],[start],[end],[aspect]
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                  Copyright (c) 1992, 1993 by Mark Davidsaver






            This statement draws a circle, ellipse, or pie section
            on the graphics screen.  (x,y) are the screen
            coordinates of the center of the figure.  Radius is the
            radius in pixels.  Start and End are angles in radians.
            Omiting these results in a complete circle or ellipse.
            You may use Start,End to draw arcs or pie sections.  A
            complete circle has a start randian of 0 and an end
            radian of 6.2832.

            If start or end are negative the value is converted to a
            positive number for purposes of drawing the arc, but
            then a line is drawn from the center of the figure to
            the end point of the arc.  PIE figures may be draw in
            this way.

              Example of a complete circle, radius 50, color blue

                      SCREEN 8
                      CIRCLE (100,100),50,1

              Example of pie figure, filled in

                      SCREEN 8
                      CIRCLE (100,100),50,1,-.01,-2
                      PAINT (102,98),1,1

            Aspect can be used to adjust the ratio of y radius to
            the x radius.  By default BasicBasic sets aspect to a
            number to create round circles for the type of screen
            being used.



          CLOSE #filenumber

            This statement terminates I/O to the indicated
            filenumber.  Only one number allowed for each CLOSE
            command.



          CLS

            This statement clears the screen.  If a scrollable area
            has been define the entire screen is still cleared.



          COLOR foreground,background

            The format of this statement varies depending on the
            screen mode you are in.

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                  Copyright (c) 1992, 1993 by Mark Davidsaver