How many people actually use FreeBasic?

General discussion for topics related to the FreeBASIC project or its community.
BasicCoder2
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How many people actually use FreeBasic?

Post by BasicCoder2 »

Hi,

I was curious if it is known how many people actually use FreeBasic and to what extent?

As a hobby programmer I have used it 100% since discovering back in 2006 but then I don't actually write professional software. At the time I was using Bloodshed Dev-C++ which I liked very much but found FreeBasic easier to use for the types of programs I was playing with. I had thought of returning to C as it is well supported. I felt like I should learn Python because of its support base but haven't been motivated enough to get very far with that language.
ScriptBasic
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Re: How many people actually use FreeBasic?

Post by ScriptBasic »

I used FreeBASIC as a PowerBASIC alternative until 64 bit became the current platform everyone is developing for. The FreeBASIC C emitter was a good step in the right direction but I was hoping for something I could enhance using FreeBASIC to generate a framework. OxygenBasic has since filled my Windows BASIC compiler needs. I'm just getting going with the C BASIC concept and having a lot of fun with it. If you think about it, FreeBASIC is much like C BASIC. It uses a BASIC like syntax to mask the ASM source code generated. C BASIC is just a level up. I think the best use of FreeBASIC developers resources at this time would be to use Charles C header parsing and be rid of .bi files and the maintenance forever. I'm sure that would make FreeBASIC more attractive since PB (and it's author) has died and left a sizable user base without a direction.
badidea
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Re: How many people actually use FreeBasic?

Post by badidea »

I use FreeBASIC for 'hobby projects' as well, now and then. But I also work with other languages: (C, C++, python, php). currently doing a PHP/MySQL project for work, although I am not employed as as programmer. Doing multiple languages can be confusing, but is nice to see the differences between them.
Jonge
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Re: How many people actually use FreeBasic?

Post by Jonge »

I also use FreeBasic for hobby programing, mostly game related stuff. I have used FB since when v1c released the first versions(switching from QuickBasic).
petan
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Re: How many people actually use FreeBasic?

Post by petan »

;D
+1
Pro
BasicCoder2
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Re: How many people actually use FreeBasic?

Post by BasicCoder2 »

ScriptBasic wrote: I'm just getting going with the C BASIC concept and having a lot of fun with it.
The situation I am in is how much time to devote to learning and using Python instead of continuing with FreeBasic. I can already program in C and consider it an easy language to learn. I see no advantage in adding another language to the tower of Babel.
BasicCoder2
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Re: How many people actually use FreeBasic?

Post by BasicCoder2 »

badidea wrote:I use FreeBASIC for 'hobby projects' as well, now and then. But I also work with other languages: (C, C++, python, php). currently doing a PHP/MySQL project for work, although I am not employed as as programmer. Doing multiple languages can be confusing, but is nice to see the differences between them.
It all comes down to time and what your goals are. I don't want to think about how to implement an idea in yet another language when I already know how to do it in the languages I do know. The reason I am learning Python is because it is easier than Java and seems to have lots of support.
BasicCoder2
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Re: How many people actually use FreeBasic?

Post by BasicCoder2 »

Jonge wrote:I also use FreeBasic for hobby programing, mostly game related stuff. I have used FB since when v1c released the first versions(switching from QuickBasic).
Recently I have been looking at the mechanics of simple retro like game programming. A program can be fun and addictive, particularly for a younger player, without the complex 3D realism of a modern computer game. A program written in FreeBasic can apparently run on Linux but it seems to me a game must also run on the Android operating system. I am not sure if Python is a solution or C with a graphics sound library. I really never warmed to Java.
ScriptBasic
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Re: How many people actually use FreeBasic?

Post by ScriptBasic »

The goal of C BASIC is to help the first time C programmer get through the flow in a BASIC way while learning the unique ways of C. I have already clearly stated that C BASIC isn't everyone. Those that have tried it think it's a cool idea. You wouldn't install training wheels on a bike if your kid has already mastered the skateboard. If I had something like C BASIC in the past, I would have learned C much sooner. If nothing else, I hope you have been entertained.
anonymous1337
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Re: How many people actually use FreeBasic?

Post by anonymous1337 »

BasicCoder2 wrote:
ScriptBasic wrote: I'm just getting going with the C BASIC concept and having a lot of fun with it.
The situation I am in is how much time to devote to learning and using Python instead of continuing with FreeBasic. I can already program in C and consider it an easy language to learn. I see no advantage in adding another language to the tower of Babel.
They serve different purposes. C is different from C++ is different from Python.

C++ is still probably the way to go for "serious" games, for example, because of performance and memory management concerns. Python is an amazing general-purpose language. FreeBASIC is some weird hybrid between QBASIC and trying to get it to do more stuff, but there's a limit to that, and it really depends on how much you're willing to let your language/compiler get in the way of your ability to get stuff done, and at what price.

Considering that Python is easier to work with as far as networking/scheduling apps are concerned, it is industry standard (and one of Google's "Big 3" programming languages - the others being C++ and Java, and occasionally server-side JavaScript), it has a decent-sized market (getting a job isn't so hard), and has a lot of great language features FreeBASIC really can't hope to have any time soon - I'd say go with Python.

That being said, any decent programmer should at least be somewhat fluent in a wide variety of languages, and really, really good at one or two very-useful languages that they probably get paid to work in.
anonymous1337
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Re: How many people actually use FreeBasic?

Post by anonymous1337 »

BasicCoder2 wrote:
Jonge wrote:I also use FreeBasic for hobby programing, mostly game related stuff. I have used FB since when v1c released the first versions(switching from QuickBasic).
Recently I have been looking at the mechanics of simple retro like game programming. A program can be fun and addictive, particularly for a younger player, without the complex 3D realism of a modern computer game. A program written in FreeBasic can apparently run on Linux but it seems to me a game must also run on the Android operating system. I am not sure if Python is a solution or C with a graphics sound library. I really never warmed to Java.
Adobe Air may be a solution. Flash/ActionScript 3 is pretty easy to learn with FlashDevelop, the syntax is based on ECMAScript and very flexible. Personally, I would prefer something even more flexible (not a huge fan of everything that was done with AS3). HTML5 apps are also an option for games which don't need super-accurate timing with sounds and i/o. It's just not there,yet.

Otherwise, suck it up and write the game in Java and then in Objective-C. Or maybe consider something like Xamarin Studio or PhoneGap.
ScriptBasic wrote:The goal of C BASIC is to help the first time C programmer get through the flow in a BASIC way while learning the unique ways of C. I have already clearly stated that C BASIC isn't everyone. Those that have tried it think it's a cool idea. You wouldn't install training wheels on a bike if your kid has already mastered the skateboard. If I had something like C BASIC in the past, I would have learned C much sooner. If nothing else, I hope you have been entertained.
You're right. C BASIC is not for everyone. It's also not something that needs to be brought up in every thread you post in.

Maybe if this thread was titled "How many people actually use C BASIC?" I would understand. You could make two accounts and reply to yourself all day, doing the same thing you keep doing, just hopefully not on this forum.

Welcome back, but please be mind of the fact that you are spamming other people's threads (and/or this forum) with a non-FB product.
v1ctor
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Re: How many people actually use FreeBasic?

Post by v1ctor »

ScriptBasic: you have already 2 reports about spamming the forum with information about a project that has nothing to do with FB .

Another report and we will have to ban you, again.

So, please, stop that, ok? Thank you.
ScriptBasic
Posts: 47
Joined: Nov 14, 2013 22:00

Re: How many people actually use FreeBasic?

Post by ScriptBasic »

Will you be removing the posts about the AutoIt3 embedding spam posts as well?

Any open source developer that calls another open source project spam is wrong and you owe me and the ScriptBasic project an apology. Threating to ban me takes it over the top.
BasicCoder2
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Re: How many people actually use FreeBasic?

Post by BasicCoder2 »

anonymous1337 wrote: I'd say go with Python.
Thanks for the info. I will go with Python for the time being as that is what I have already started to learn.
That being said, any decent programmer should at least be somewhat fluent in a wide variety of languages, and really, really good at one or two very-useful languages that they probably get paid to work in.
I don't have time to become fluent in many languages and I doubt I will write anything commercial I just find programming a mental challenge in my spare time. I tried Java but hated it. Have dabbled in C++ but essentially can only use C. Python appears to be at my level so far. I still like FreeBasic the most :)
ScriptBasic
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Re: How many people actually use FreeBasic?

Post by ScriptBasic »

I still like FreeBasic the most.
I like FreeBASIC a lot as well. Times have changed and 64 bit is world we now live in. I have seen no effort to update FreeBASIC on any platform to 64 bit. Having to use custom include files that always seem out of date is another reason I now use OxygenBasic. In its time, FreeBASIC was king. Now the king runs around naked.
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