The fastest BASIC compiler for the Mac
by
Staz Software, Inc

• Freeware package
• Great Editor
• Integrated super fast Compiler
• Project Manager
• Debugger
• Profiler
• Program Generator (CASE tool for 68K & PPC)
• .nib's I.B. files support via programming
• Rich documentation
• Abundant examples
• Open Source Runtimes:
• Console
• BASIC Standard
• Appearance
• Toolbox
• BASIC-88
• Universal Binaries via FBtoC & GCC compiler
• Carbon compilation
• PPC & 68K inline assembly
• Toolbox and shared libraries access
• Appli mini: 28 Kbytes
• Appli maxi: 2 Gbytes
• System mini: Mac OS 7.6 for FB^3
• System mini: OS X 10.2 for FB4

• No more specific European edition
• Localisation is open to anyone

• FutureBASIC Italia
• mogwerks.net
• green

INTERNATIONAL NEWS


Download FutureBASIC for free at Staz Software web site

In spite of the extremely scarse updates of this very site, the FB team is still doing a hard job improving both the FB Editor and the FBtoC application. So instead of writing a long note by myself, here are the announcements for each new release (from the most recent to the oldest) that Robert Purves published in the FB mailing list and that I failed to report on this page:

March 2009, 21: FutureBasic 5.1.5 and FBtoC 1.1.10

:: Editor changes ::
1. An unsaved standalone file can now be built and run (Command-R); see note 1 below.
2. Compile Info window shows progress of both translation and compilation.

:: Bug fixes in FBtoC 1.1.10 ::
426 Closed: inkey$ does not return
427 Closed: val&( "01" ) and val&( " 1" ) should return 1
428 Closed: spurious error from 'if...then edit$(1) = "" else stop'
429 Closed: 'text' statement with no parameters hangs FBtoC
430 Closed: Tlbx glu.incl could not be included

:: New example ::
FB_5_1_5_Examples > Text > HITextView+FontPanel > HITextView
An HITextView with the FontPanel allows multistyled text with shadow, colour, double-underline and other eye-candy.

:: Note 1 ::
This is a normal Run in every way, except that the various files required by FBtoC are in your TemporaryItems folder, which (in OS X 10.5) is somewhere like:
/private/var/folders/88/88AKX+F62RWmd++8ZOxBkU+++TI/TemporaryItems.

February 2009, 16: FutureBasic 5.1.4 and FBtoC 1.1.9

:: Editor 5.1.4 changes ::
1. Scripts '#if 1/#endif' and '#if 0/#endif' fixed.

:: FBtoC 1.1.9 changes ::
1. Typed functions without a suffix are allowed, for example
local fn Name as Str255
end fn = "Ann"
2. FB4 kludges removed from toolbox declarations (see below).
3. The setting 'Use precompiled header' works for universal builds.
4. The build system determines which pieces of a large program need to be compiled, and compiles only those pieces.

:: Bug fixes ::
415 Closed: Make Xcode Project wrongly quotes/escapes nib names
417 Closed: dropping file on FBtoC spoils log window position
420 Closed: Allow files with no OSType to be opened.
424 Closed: input # bug
425 Closed: record # should set file mark when extending

:: FB4 kludges removed ::
The Carbon C definition of these five functions includes a 64-bit parameter, which in FB4 had to be split into two 32-bit halves:
HIViewFindByID()
HIViewSetID() // rarely used
CreateMouseTrackingRegion()
HIViewNewTrackingArea()
HIViewChangeFeatures() // rarely used
You will have to change your code from, for example:
fn HIViewFindByID( fn HIViewGetRoot( w ), myHIViewID.signature, myHIViewID.id, @myView ) // old syntax
to the simpler correct form:
fn HIViewFindByID( fn HIViewGetRoot( w ), myHIViewID, @myView ) // FB5.1.4 syntax

January 2009, 9: FutureBasic 5.1.3 and FBtoC 1.1.8

:: Editor 5.1.3 ::
Unchanged from 5.1.2.

:: FBtoC 1.1.8 changes ::
'on FinderInfo fn Xxxx' implemented [see FB_5_1_3_Examples > Files > FinderInfo]
The Headers file Util_CE.incl has been extensively commented for easier use.

:: New Headers files and examples ::
Util_EUTCKeyFilter.incl [see FB_5_1_3_Examples > Text > EUTC Key filter]
Util_Toolbar.incl [see FB_5_1_3_Examples > Carbon Toolbar > The easy way]
Tlbx HITheme.incl [see FB_5_1_3_Examples > Controls > HITheme_demos]
Tlbx CoreText.incl [see FB_5_1_3_Examples > Text > CoreText xxxx]

:: CoreGraphicsheaders changes ::
The special FB4 syntax for a handful of CG functions (CGRectMake, CGRectOffset, CGContextGetCTM ...) has been discarded. You will need to change the way you call these functions in your source code. For example:
fn CGRectMake( r, 0.0, 0.0, 10.0, 20.0 ) // old FB4 syntax
r = fn CGRectMake( 0.0, 0.0, 10.0, 20.0 ) // new FB5 syntax similar to C

:: Additions to the CG headers ::
CGDataProvider.incl
CGError.incl
CGFont.incl
CGGradient.incl
CGPath.incl
CGPDFArray.incl
CGPDFDictionary.incl
CGPDFDocument.incl
CGPDFObject.incl
CGPDFPage.incl
CGPDFStream.incl
CGPDFString.incl

The FB4 'local fn' wrappers have been removed from all CoreGraphics functions. This change makes 'fn' optional when calling CG procedures (functions that do not return a value).
fn CGContextFillRect( ctx, r ) // 'fn' formerly required; now optional
CGContextFillRect( ctx, r ) // new simpler syntax

:: Bug-fixes ::
370 Closed: button statements uncheck a checked checkbox
404 Closed: scroll button mishandles Rect param at creation
406 Closed: key chars with high bit set are negative in _evKeys dialog event
409 Closed: I-beam cursor persists after click in FBtoC Log window
410 Closed: gcc error from struct/record field named 'index'
412 Closed: gcc error from pi if prefs 'Allow dim a#,a$,a%'
413 Closed: val&() should return 0 if first char is alphabetic

November 2008, 17: FutureBasic 5.1.2 and FBtoC 1.1.6

:: Important change in HandleEvents ::
The default behaviour of HandleEvents is now to block (i.e. not return) unless an event is dispatched.
It is no longer necessary (but is harmless), to suppress null events with:
poke long event - 8, 0xFFFFFFFF // no null events

The original behaviour of returning 30 times a second, if required for old polling code, can be restored by:
poke long event - 8, 2 // null events every 2 ticks, like FB4
do
  fn PollForSomething
  HandleEvents
until gFBQuit

:: Editor (FutureBasic 5.1.2) changes ::
Fixes to text display in the Errors window.
A bug has been fixed that caused the cursor to change to an arrow over the Scripts Palette even when the latter was hidden.

:: FBtoC 1.1.6 changes ::
1. Default behaviour of HandleEvents changed.
2. The rarely-used 'system' statement is no longer equivalent to 'end'. Please change your code to use 'end'.
3. The 'menu' statement now allows an optional 5th parameter (commandID).
4. New/revised Headers files:
Tlbx CFBase.incl
Tlbx CFString.incl
Tlbx CFArray.incl
Tlbx CFData.incl
Tlbx CFDate.incl
Tlbx CFNumber.incl
These header files are more complete than previously; if you get redefined function errors for your own CFxxxx declarations, just comment out your declarations.
5. New Headers file:
Util_Containers.incl [for use see FB_5_1_2_Examples > Containers > Util_Containers example].
6. New Headers file:
Util_Toolbar.incl [for use see FB_5_1_2_Examples > Carbon Toolbar > Toolbar Example].
7. FB_5_1_2_Examples > Sorting [FB3/FB4 CD examples updated for FB5]
8. build_temp folders created by FBtoC are excluded from Time Machine backups.

:: Bug fixes ::
390 Closed: left$$, mid$$, right$$ give _zTrue when comparing chars
391 Closed: mid$$( c, 1 ) gives "comma expected error"
392 Closed: scrollbar of console app lacks down-arrow
393 Closed: garbled error from proc "NoSuchFunction"
394 Closed: prHndl..prInfo.rPage fields are byte-reversed on Intel
396 Closed: default edit field is _framedNoCR instead of _framed
398 Closed: can't access 2-D array inside record
399 Closed: def apndstr has endian bug (on Intel)
401 Closed: crash from print after front window closed
402 Closed: 'Array bounds error' alert shows as 'Quit'

October 2008, 20: FutureBasic 5.1.1 and FBtoC 1.1.5

:: Editor (FutureBasic 5.1.1) changes ::
1. Script Palette replaces Script submenus.
2. Project window has Headers button, which opens the Headers folder in the Finder.

:: FBtoC 1.1.5 changes ::
1. New File menu item: Make Xcode Project.
2. New feature and setting: Warn of unused functions.
3. Domain and folder type constants (_kUserDomain, _kApplicationSupportFolderType...) are now defined.
4. New Headers file Util_CE.incl provides a simplified method to implement Carbon Events in your code; for demos see FB_5_1_1_Examples > CarbonEvents.

:: Bug fixes ::
314 Closed: make strings in *.c runtime localizable
378 Closed: elided error message from include library "NoSuchFile"
381 Closed: editor ignores some translation errors
382 Closed: aliased source file prevents translation of main
383 Closed: editor's Stop button does not affect build by FBtoC
384 Closed: I-beam cursor stays after click in Prefs 'More gcc options'
385 Closed: unusable CreateMouseTrackingRegion() in Tlbx CarbonEvents.incl
386 Closed: 'picH = picture' gives translation error
387 Closed: _useWFont fails for some appearance buttons

September 2008, 24: FutureBasic 5.1 and FBtoC 1.1.4

:: Important change in FBtoC ::
Until now, the build process would automatically copy every nib (*.nib) from the source folder into the built app package. This greedy and surreptitious copy risked the inadvertent inclusion of files like "OldRubbish.nib" and "embarrassingly bad.nib". Now, nibs are ignored unless specified in an 'include resources' statement or in the editor project window (see below).

This means that every project or standalone file that uses a nib interface needs modification. The most straightforward fix is to add a line of code resembling this:
include resources "main.nib"
for each nib used by your project.

:: Editor (FutureBasic 5.1) changes ::
1. New menu items give better integration with FBtoC

2. FBtoC preferences are also accessible from a pane in FB preferences.
3. Project window allows files of any type to to be dragged and dropped, including nib, sound and image files.

Such files are copied during the build to <AppName>/Contents/Resources or <AppName>/Contents/Resources/en.lproj as appropriate, as though they had been specified in an 'include resources' statement in source code.

:: FBtoC 1.1.4 changes:
1. gFBFloatMaxDigits implemented
2. New file and directory utilities available in Headers file Util_FileDirectory.incl. See FB_5_1_Examples > Files > File_Directory examples.

:: Bug fixes:
372 Closed: bad factor when input# used with var instead of constant
375 Closed: 'line input #serialPort, s$' gets no chars
377 Closed: open "A"... doesn't work with FSRef or CFURLRef
380 Closed: close #e... etc mistranslated

September 2008, 12: FutureBasic 5 and FBtoC 1.1.3

:: Bug fixes in FBtoC 1.1.3:
365 Closed: Can't access App menu's MenuRef before building a menu
367 Closed: rnd(x) produces same number on repeated runs
368 Closed: _cursEvent, _cursOverBtn … not implemented
369 Closed: appearance button statement should support graphics content
371 Closed: print using gives wrong string for 0.0
373 Closed: Stackable Nav sheets
374 Closed: Infinite error loop: if a then text a else text b

Downloading here: 4toc.com/fb4/

FutureBASIC 5.0 has been released along with FBtoC 1.1.3 (US version only). But what's that?

FB5 is merely the FutureBASIC Editor tweaked to work with FBtoC only. It doesn't rely anymore on Andy Gariepy's FB Compiler to produce applications, therefore some options have disappeared from its menus and the Extensions folder has been discarded eliminating in the process the discrepancies between the Headers folder used by the FB Compiler and the Headers folder dedicated to FBtoC.

At this time, FB5 is still a PPC application. It might become a Universal binaries in the near future. Furthermore, the GCC compiler's preferences must be set up within the FBtoC application, this might also change in the coming months to mimic the FB4 behavior coupled with the old FB Compiler.

For those who need to maintain old big applications or to support old Apple's computers and systems (68k, PPC, Carbon Classic/OS X, system 9.2) FB4 is still available and up to the task.

Downloading here: 4toc.com/fb4/

For the French speaking visitors lost on this page, they should know that FutureBASIC 4 Release 4.4.2 along with FBtoC are available now in French at: 4toc.com/fb4/. This new release has been updated to offer a smoothier transition to FBtoC. The localized package weighing 50Mb is stuffed in a single archive containing the manuals and the example files . FBtoC must be downloaded separately.

As expected, the recent announcement made by Staz Software has induced a surge in activity among the FB programmers, newcomers and oldtimers alike. This is a positive sign. Now we must hope that this excitement will spread and last over time.

As a consequence, I have started to receive e-mails asking for technical support from around the world and while I appreciate the confidence, I must remind my correspondents that FutureBASIC is now a hobby as far as I'm concerned. I'm no longer officially in charge of the technical support. Said otherwise, I can only reply when time permits. Let me add that English is not my native tongue, therefore it takes much more of my time to come up with a decent reply in this language. So, for a better support you should subscribe without reticence to the official FB mailing list at associate.com. This is clearly the hot place for FB programmers nowadays.

In a recent contribution, I wrote that MacWise by Carnation Software had been compiled as a Universal application using FBtoC. This was wrong. I must apologize now for the false statement I made. Actually, the updated application was released to run smoothly under Leopard, which is not the same thing at all. However, my statement was just a bit premature because today it's OK.

Lately, I've been working on the French version of FBtoC in collaboration with the FBtoC team and this was the opportunity for them to implement a new feature that will ease the localization of your own created applications. Stay tuned.

Note that the French versions of FB and FBtoC although ready for prime time are not yet available for download. I will seek an arrangement with Staz Software in the shortest delays. I have no insight regarding the Italian version, all I know is that Michele Neri is working hard on the FBtoC application itself at this time. At last, if you are interested in localizing FB in your own language (other than English, Italian, Japanese and French, that is), you might get in touch with the FBtoC team via the FB mailing list as it seems there is no contact form on their web site.

Some programmers (myself included) have been using the DataBrowser For Dummies library in their applications, but while I am honoured by that fact, I have to say now that this is not a really good news. At first this library was intended for the learning of the DataBrowser control, which is a very rich puppy in Apple's bestiary and therefore a bit hard to fathom on first approach. However, that library is shamelessly reaping advantage from the weak typing of the FB language, furthermore the underlying mechanism to achieve the desired simplicity for the end-user (in that case, you as the programmer) is somewhat intricated, not to say convoluted.

Now, the problem is that this way of coding is totally unfit for the compilation with GCC through FBtoC, and worst, it cannot even be tweaked to get it up to the task of becoming universal binary. There's only one alternative for those of you who already use the DBFD library: code rewriting to implement the DataBrowser in your applications, if you want them to run natively on Intel Macintosh. Not really cool.

That being said, the code and functions in DBFD could serve as a template to start the necessary job of adaptation for your specific needs. You might also prefer to start with the DataBrowser example by Bernie Wylde that comes along with the FBtoC package.

Some of you have raised the question of the significance of FutureBASIC going freeware. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Quite frankly, I have no insight as to where Staz Software is going, and it has been a while since I spoke to Chris Stasny privately, but I don't think it is really a good news for him in spite of the fact that it will relieve him of a heavy burden. Furthermore, I suspect that hurricane Katrina played a significant part in his decision. Following the disaster we have all noticed the slowdown in the frequency of new releases and major upgrades, a slowdown that has come close to an halt, in fact. Sad. Whatever the true reasons may be, we owe Chris a big thank you for his relentless support during the past two decades. Personally, I can't find the words to express my immense gratitude.

Anyway, according to his last contribution on his Web site, this is not the end for FutureBASIC. On the contrary, it may well be a new start. First, I believe that spreading this recent news about the fresh status of FutureBASIC can bring back some of the old customers who were reluctant to pay their annual fee for an update of their IDE. Secondly, now nothing can stop new users from getting on board. Better late than never. The latest point being the most important, as I see it, guaranteeing a healthy survival of our favourite IDE.

While the FB community was probably the most friendly around the Web that one could hope for, it was more like joining a little tribe, a survival of the past, isolated from the general programmer community at large. The current paradigm shift might give a nudge in the right direction. FB is on the verge of becoming an open source project. If this is not the key for success per se, at least, this should increase the odds to see FB still well alive in the years to come.

For the moment, we can count on the small team that has been tackling the heavy job for Staz Software for the last two years. Today, we can benefit from their work with the first official release of FBtoC, but they still have plans for the future: they have yet to convert the FB editor to a Universal Application, and, more importantly, they have to integrate FBtoC with the FB Editor, making FB programming for Intel Macs a seamless experience.

In short, it is a bit early to decide whether we are dealing with good news or bad news on this matter. At this very moment, only time will tell.

Yesterday I posted an update to wish everybody a Happy New Year. Today I'm at it again to report the latest good news. Yesterday, FutureBASIC became freeware. That means that anyone can now download it and use it for free. So, if you don't own the latest release, it's time for you to visit Staz Software web site.

Here is Staz' announcement:

NEWS! FB is Freeware!-- January 1, 2008
FutureBASIC is now freeware! Starting January 1, 2008, FB will become freeware. Does this mean that work on the product will come to a halt? Absolutely not. For starters, you will be able to download a revised editor that addresses problems with OS X, System10.5. Later, you will be able to download the exciting new translator under construction by the FBtoC team that will allow FB code to be compiled by the GCC compiler.

As a matter of fact, the FB front has been very quiet the past year: no big announcements, no major releases. This is not saying that nothing has happened during that time, but what the FB community is awaiting eagerly now is the next big step regarding programming with FutureBASIC that could guarantee its survival.

The good news is that it's coming. Some time ago, a small team, led by Robert Purves, started to work on a new tool designed to produce Universal Binaries and generate applications running natively on Intel Macs. This project is now well advanced, up to the point that we can expect its first release in the very near future.

Of course, no date has been proposed yet, but a few beta testers have already reported that they have successfully compiled some of their applications, even commercial ones. For instance, MacWise, is now available with Intel compatibility. This is quite encouraging.

The tool called (for the moment) FBtoC, reads FB native projects and, as its name implies, converts the code into C, to ask the GCC compiler (available on the Developer CD of all Mac OS X System disks) to generate the resulting application. The process is straightforward, at least on paper, and ideally it should be transparent for the programmer.

Actually the things are not that simple, because the process bypasses entirely the FB compiler. That means that a lot of legacy code had to be cut out. Old Apple "technologies" like the archaic 'working directory reference number' for example, are no longer used, and forbidden in your code if you intent to target Intel Macs. For those of you who are still lagging behind, it is really time to move on.

So the strength of FB in that it allowed very old BASIC code to continue to run on Macintosh, is over. This is an inconvenient fact, and if you have not followed the advice of FB gurus, be prepared to spend some time rewriting your old applications. For now, the best advice I could give you on my end is to subscribe to the FB mailing list at associate.com. Not only will you find other programmers ready to help, but also the announcements for the latest versions of FBtoC with its documentation that you can download and test.

This maintenance release corrects a bug occurring in the Italian and French versions which prevented a few menus from acting properly. The code has been very slightly edited but has been compiled using the most recent FB headers coming from the latest beta version of FB.

You can download QuiXample here

Mousewheel support, which was inadvertantly disabled, has been restaured in this release.

You can download DBFD here

Recent changes in the DataBrowser For Dummies library that QuiXample uses, introduced a severe bug that caused the application to crash while the user was toying with checkboxes. This new version, built with the latest release of FB, should fix the problem.

You can download QuiXample here

In spite of its pompous new version number, there is nothing new in this release, except that a nasty bug related to the handling of CF strings is supposed to be squashed by now.

You can download DBFD here

This maintenance release comes with a special renewal offer for current subscribers. The main feature of FB4 R4 is its new compiler which is not only faster and smaller but now OS X-only. It produces almost exactly the same PPC code that Release 3 did. The Compiler also no longer includes obsolete resources in your applications ['CODE', 'Tara', 'Gigi', 'Andy', 'Staz' 1997] . The Compiler's user interface has been also updated in the process.

There are very small changes in the Editor application: it uses less CPU time and sees minor cosmetic changes in some panes of its Preferences window. There's a new header file called CFIndex.incl that can seriously boost your Index$ arrays. New commands have been implemented to work with dynamic arrays:
Def DynamicInsertItems, Def DynamicRemoveItems and Usr DynamicItemSize. (see Reference Manual for details).

A bit more about this release here.

Many of you have been following FutureBASIC's adventure since the dawn of Macdom, record longevity for an IDE on this platform bar none. But times are a-changing and while FB is still full of ass-kicking goodness for the aficionados -- from where I'm sitting, at any rate -- I, on a personal level, also have to do other things with my life. In no way I am abandoning ship, but I'll be honest by saying that after the disappearance of Pix & Mix, I simply have to earn a living, and that is why I am also tying my bootstraps to another boat. This will clearly mean that I will be less present on the FB front, even though I still plan to continue the translations for the French-speaking programmers. I am also still officially in charge of the master of the Euro CD, and I'll try to keep this site up to date as much as I can (hey, look at that, I'm even ahead of Staz Software in the publication of the new features in the next release).

The funny thing is that I'm now involved in the mogWerks project, actually a brand new company for Web development that has been settled by another FB-er whom I met around year 2000 thank to the FutureBASIC mailing list at associate.com and whom you know perhaps for his programming skills with FB or without your knowledge because that's him who designed the euro.futurebasic site eons ago. Jonathan (a.k.a. the gnome) for many years was a great figure in the FB community.

mogWerks has little things to do with FB, if at all, therefore be aware that I will handle all the tasks related to FutureBASIC in my spare time, so you should not expect an immediate answer to your e-mails and for those who are used to calling me on the phone, I'll ask them to be indulgent if I need to shorten our conversations.

If you are curious about our new company, come to visit our commercial Web site at: mogwerks.com, but as programmers, you will be probably more interested in the other Web site we have put together which is dedicated to our Open Source projects at: mogwerks.net. Do I need to say your support is welcome?

Last of all, I would like to finish with special thanks -- but I'm embarrassed, lacking the words, both in English and in French that can sincerely indicate the depth of these thanks -- to Michele Neri (a.k.a. Mich the Great) the Italian localiser of FB for his incredible volunteering work, help and support for all these years. I even believe that we have never met each other IRL, how come? I think I'm really missing a rare human being. And now Michele has just offered to join us in our first Open Source project. At least, it seems the FB spirit is alive and well in this new endeavour, isn't it?

Alain

In spite of the battering inflicted by Hurricane Katrina -- the traces of which will still take many years to clear, if they ever do -- we are glad to announce that FutureBASIC 4 Release 3 is ready for shipping. While this release was long overdue, we must congratulate Chris Stasny for having stayed the course and providing us with a new, enhanced version of our favorite IDE. For a detailed list of changes, bug fixes and new features, please follow this link.

Go to the Staz Software site to place orders for new subscriptions, or renew an existing one. If you want the European CD (at no additional charge), remember to note this in the Comments field of the order form.

This is what Herbie Gluender is exploring in a short article which he gave us the right to reprint here.

"We are currently experiencing Apple’s transition from the PowerPC- to the Intel-based hardware accompanied by a corresponding software transition. Hence, users of the FB IDE might also ask what this transition means for their existing, and future, code and applications? Although specific statements about future versions of the FB IDE can’t be made yet, this document will cover general considerations of what needs to be done by the makers of the FB IDE and, by consequence, by FB coders." Read more...

Nothing really fancy here, this new version makes use of CF Preferences.

You can download the package here

Following an overwhelming demand, I have implemented a new feature that allows to search the FB documentation with QuiXample. The search is performed in the language keywords only, but you can use a partial term to retrieve the keywords of interest. From there, the FB documentation can be opened in your favorite Web browser.

You can now also label files to help you sort the results. At last, a couple of serious bugs have been squashed. Please, have a look at the readme file.

You can download the package here