Why do you care that much about BASIC part in the name of a language?

[ScriptBasic]

BASIC might have a chance to survive and prosper if folks would make up their minds which BASIC is worth saving and supporting going forward. Everyone having their own pet BASIC doesn't do the language any favors.

[n00b]

BASIC might have a chance to survive and prosper if folks would make up their minds which BASIC is worth saving and supporting going forward. Everyone having their own pet BASIC doesn't do the language any favors.

BASIC has existed in many flavors for almost half a century now. I have already given my thoughts on the idea of traditional BASIC but I think it is important to understand why the language has been as popular as it has. Microsoft introduced the language to personal computers and has since continuously developed it until it reached the level they are at now with Visual Basic and Small Basic (both of which are terrible languages). But other computers adapted the language to there systems (ie. comodore, atari, sinclair, and that small company with the logo of the rainbow colored apple). If it wasn't for the language being spread and adapted in so many ways it could have died with the Dartmouth Time-Sharing System. So I feel that instead of trying to limit it to specific dialects that are "worth saving and supporting", we as a community need to embrace each dialect for what it is. Its not like any BASIC dialect is in competition with each other and I think its nice that new users have as many options as they do.

[ZXDunny]

Can ScriptBASIC perform a calculated GOTO?

Better. It can embed itself into itself as a process or a thread.

Should a real BASIC ...

• be able to use variables without predefining their type or range including arrays? (index/associative)
• be restricted to line numbers or labels to execute code?
• imply limitations to array indices's or structure, string length or the ability to extend the language in any direction?
• be restricted to an OS platform or require more than one code base?

But again, you're overlaying your opinion on what a BASIC language should and insisting that this is how they should be - and that's all it is, your opinion. Just as it's my opinion that if language doesn't support line numbers and be able to calculate a destination for GO TO such as the result of an expression, then it's not BASIC. My definition of BASIC doesn't match yours, but I don't try to convince you that your pet language isn't worthy of your attention - just that I don't find it worthy of mine.

And that's fine.

[ScriptBasic]

If I was still intsrested in 8 bit BASICs, I could maybe see your point.

Can ScriptBASIC perform a calculated GOTO?

Yes. If the program errors it goes to the label assigned or continues as intended.

Code: [Select]

ON ERROR GOTO ErrorHandler


[jj2007]

Just as it's my opinion that if language doesn't support line numbers and be able to calculate a destination for GO TO such as the result of an expression, then it's not BASIC. My definition of BASIC doesn't match yours

Dear Dunny,

You do know that you are a very special person, don't you? 

I have stopped using line numbers, but not BASIC, almost 30 years ago. Just checked my oldest source, 600kB written in GfaBasic, no GOTO. But I had a GOTO in the 15k lines that I wrote in Gfa for Atari ST (an editor); it served to create space for embedded assembly code.

Apropos assembly: In MasmBasic, I could easily implement calculated GOTOs. The two of us against the rest of the World?

[ZXDunny]

If I was still intsrested in 8 bit BASICs, I could maybe see your point.

Can ScriptBASIC perform a calculated GOTO?

Yes. If the program errors it goes to the label assigned or continues as intended.

Code: [Select]

ON ERROR GOTO ErrorHandler


I don't think you understand the question, John. ScriptBASIC cannot do the one thing that sets BASIC apart from all other languages -

GO TO a*20

Without that, I'm afraid that it doesn't meet my standards for BASIC and therefore it (like most other languages discussed here) is not BASIC. It's a beginner's language, sure.

[ScriptBasic]

GOTOs were popular back in early 80s when functions/subs and namespaces did't exisit. I only use a GOTO when they make sense.

Sometimes you need TO let GO.

@Paul - You are welcome to be the curator for the retro BASIC museum.

[B+]

Variable GOTO's are pretty cool but I guess now days Select Case covers all that.

[ScriptBasic]

IF .. THEN
.
ELSE IF .. THEN
.
ELSE
.
END IF


Pretty much covers it for me without the limitations that SELECT/CASE imposes.

[Aurel]

w

[ScriptBasic]

whole discussion is pointless and useless as OP

Our goal is to get you to realize your opinion is pointless not these threads.

[B+]

IF .. THEN
.
ELSE IF .. THEN
.
ELSE
.
END IF


Pretty much covers it for me without the limitations that SELECT/CASE imposes.

Right that probably came first, select case not limited if it can do Booleans.

[Aurel]

[

[Mike Lobanovsky]

... the one thing that sets BASIC apart from all other languages -

GO TO a*20

I'm afraid that's pretty much not so, Paul. "Computed goto's" are part of C99 C language specification. They are also supported in FBSL's Dynamic C:   

[ScriptBasic]

select case not limited if it can do Booleans.

CASE can't do expressions. Only variables (maybe ranges) and constants.