Re: Interpreter for old basic programs from the line number era

On Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:57:35 GMT,  wrote:

> On 11 Mrz., 18:21, "Auric__" <not.my.r...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> On Sat, 08 Mar 2008 09:20:26 GMT,  wrote:
>> > On 7 Mrz., 18:12, "Auric__" <not.my.r...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> >> On Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:05:46 GMT,  wrote:
>>
>> >> (FYI, took a bit over 6 minutes to d/l your 964 kib file.)
>> > So you actually managed to download it. Did your compile
>> > succeed? Do you have any comments about Bas7 (or the other
>> > examples)? I really need any feedback I can get.
>>
>> The compile went fine. I had to edit the makefile to point at my
>> libXll, because the X11 lib dir isn't in $PATH, and isn't the same
>> as what you have in yours (mine is /usr/X11R6/lib, with links in
>> /usr/lib/X11 and /usr/X11/lib).
>
> Maybe I should add some code to 'make depend' which finds out
> where the X11 lib is. A ./configure script would probably be
> the right solution. But until now I have not used ./configure
> since it works only on unix inspired operating systems.

Well... 'configure' *might* work under a Cygwin system (never 
tried)... but then, the vast majority of Windows systems don't have X 
anyway... or you could just include a note in README to the effect of 
"edit 'makefile' to include your X11 lib dir in the 'LIB' variable".

>> During the compile there were *many* warnings about
>> parameters being passed as different types due to prototypes
>> (mostly double -> float and signed/unsigned) but no errors.
>>
>> I ran a few sample programs (castle.sd7 brought back some fond
>> memories of swearing at the screen because I'd just been killed
>> again). I ran about a dozen old BASICA/GWBASIC sample programs
>> through bas7 without any obvious errors, but with most of them it
>> was kinda hard to tell, and the logs often weren't of any help.
>
> Error messages in bas7.log start with ' ***** ' (without the
> quotes). Do you have suggestions to make the logs more
> helpful?

Well... the format strikes me as a bit odd. If I were to do this sort 
of logging, I'd probably do it like this:
---log---
  10 IF X = FOO THEN 20
  *** X = 1
  *** FOO = 2
  *** X <> FOO
---log---
....but that's just me.

>> I have 2 suggestions and a question:
>> 1) Add some way to pause at the end of a bas7 program without
>> specifically adding a pause to the .bas file.
>
> Since some programs need this, while in other programs
> it is not useful, it IMHO cannot be done automatically.
> I think an option for Bas7 would be the solution for that.

That's what I meant -- something like:
  ./hi bas7 --pause-when-done foo.bas

I'd offer to do it for you, but I'm notorious for promising to do 
something and then taking months for a tiny fix. (You should see my 
projects' timelines: A. whenever; B. whenever; C. whenever. I have one 
that's been in the works for three years now with little to show for 
it.)

>> 2) For .sd7 programs that open a new window (such as castle.sd7)
>> add a way to keep that window open after the end of the script.
>
> Why should a window stay open when the program is finished?
> What do you want to do with such an open window?
> Did the program quit without giving you a chance to see the
> reason for it?
> That would be a bug in castle.sd7 and not in the interpreter.
> I thought that the castle.sd7 program asks for confirmation
> before it ends (and the interpreter removes all its windows).

I didn't mean castle.sd7 specifically; the question is really just 
another version of #1 and can be safely ignored. (I was tired 
yesterday; they seemed to be seperate at the time -- I'm still tired 
today but have less blood in my caffeine system than yesterday.) As I 
said before, everything that I tried ran apparently without error.

>> q) I notice that bas7 apparently doesn't support MS-style colors.
>> Are colors supported at all?
>
> Colors are supported in graphic programs (the graphic support
> is not finished: YMMV).

Assuming that castle.sd7 is X and not console, then yes, it works. I 
meant specifically text-mode colors, sorry.

> The various unix consoles do not
> really have a guaranteed color support.

I know, but you might want to think about (optionally?) linking in a 
curses lib.

> Therefore the Seed7
> text output at the console does not have color support.
> But in Seed7 there are emulated text consoles in a graphic
> window. This text consoles have also color support. Until now
> I do not use this feature for Bas7. I will look at it.

It was just a thought. One of the demos I ran was an old text-mode 
color demo so I thought I'd ask.

-- 
Fool, money, parted.