Amiga QuickBasic Compiler

[drHirudo]

Günter Bartsch is making an Amiga QuickBasic Compiler

https://github.com/gooofy/aqb

Improvements over AmigaBASIC include:

Advanced type system (including UDTs and Pointers)
Support for non-static functions and subs (enables recursion)
Module support (similar to UNITs in TurboPascal, with full type safety and dependencies)
Modern syntax inspired by FreeBASIC and VisualBASIC
True native 68k compiler
Integrated IDE besides compiler command line interface with
syntax highlighting
auto-indent
folding support

There is an Early Preview 0.7.0 alpha1, which works well on AmigaOS 3 system, but the more sophisticated compiled programs crash on my AmigaOS 4. So far the IDE is pretty BASIC, but works.

In the examples there is a Tetris clone and Mandelbrot drawing program.

I know there is Cursor compiler - http://aminet.net/package/dev/basic/Cursor
for compiling AmigaBASIC programs, but AmigaBASIC is very outdated and not very tailored to the Amiga, unlike this new compiler, which is in early stages, but already showing many improvements over the AmigaBASIC interpreter.

[hitchhikr]

Interesting.

There's also ACE (https://github.com/vidarh/ACE) but it's unfinished/bugged and the code generated isn't exactly stellar.

[drHirudo]

Here is the compiler running on my AmigaOne X1000
[ Show youtube player ]

The simpler examples ran fine, but the more complex ones crashed and I needed to use the compiler under RunInUAE (AmigaOS 3.1).

[stevelord]

Tried compiling gorilla.bas and had no joy, lots of complaints about using variables in DIM statements and didn't like some of the function definitions.

[cale_tucker]

Cool to see AQB running on an AmigaOne X1000 and thanks for producing that YouTube video

[cale_tucker]

Originally Posted by stevelord

Tried compiling gorilla.bas and had no joy, lots of complaints about using variables in DIM statements and didn't like some of the function definitions.

AQB is not meant to be a QuickBasic for DOS clone so most likely it will never be able to run non-trivial QuickBasic programs unmodified on an Amiga. However, it will hopefully become more and more compatible so QB for DOS programs should be able to run with few modifications.

The trouble with gorillas.bas BTW is not so much porting it to AQB but licensing issues: AFAIK the original Microsoft version (although readily available on the net) has never been officially open sourced so it is difficult to distribute a modified version with AQB.

[Minuous]

I don't think he is asking for that game (whether modified or not) to be included with the language, just that the language itself is compatible with it. Which seems reasonable, as there's not much point in releasing a "QuickBASIC compiler" that doesn't actually compile QuickBASIC programs.

[cale_tucker]

I guess you are right, calling it a "QuickBASIC compiler" can be misleading. Even though technically one could argue AQB could be considered a part of the family of QuickBASIC languages (consisting of QuickBASIC for DOS, QuickBASIC for Macintosh and even AmigaBASIC could be considered part of that family) people could reasonably come to the conclusion that running old DOS programs on the Amiga is a goal of this project.

I have updated AQB's README file now trying to make project scope and goals a bit more clear. Much of the additional information there originates from the (surprisingly lively) discussion on amiga-news.de .

[cale_tucker]

An updated Alpha 2 preview release is available now, fixing some of the worst alpha1 bugs (at least the examples included should work now): https://github.com/gooofy/aqb/releases/tag/0.7.0alpha2

[cale_tucker]

A new major 0.8.0 release of my AQB Amiga Basic Compiler+IDE is available for download now:



https://github.com/gooofy/aqb/releases/tag/0.8.0

The big new feature is source level debugging, but the release also comes with the usual set of new commands and bugfixes. The debugger (just like the rest of the system ? ) has a lot of room for improvements, but all the basic components are there: breakpoints, stacktraces and variable inspection. Runtime exception handling has also been improved so all in all the new release should provide for a much safer development environment now - again, a lot of room for improvements there but this is hopefully a step in the right direction.

Comments and feedback welcome!

[kamelito]

Awesome, great work!

[tolkien]

And seems more stable under morphos. Good work.

[cale_tucker]

Originally Posted by tolkien

And seems more stable under morphos. Good work.

cool - actually I wasn't aware it runs on MorphOS at all

[Pyromania]

Bring back Microsoft Amiga Basic!

[amiwolf]

aqb 0.8.0 compiler crashes (error #80000003) on starting using a 68000.

[cale_tucker]

Originally Posted by amiwolf

aqb 0.8.0 compiler crashes (error #80000003) on starting using a 68000.

interesting! - can you elaborate on that? when exactly does it crash

- on ide launch?
- when you compile?
- when you try to run the compiled program?

how much RAM do you have?

[amiwolf]

Originally Posted by cale_tucker

interesting! - can you elaborate on that? when exactly does it crash

On IDE launch.

Originally Posted by cale_tucker

how much RAM do you have?

2MB Fast + 2MB Chip OS3.2

SnoopDos is saying the Software Failure is occuring on the 2nd write to aqb/prefs.ini during launch.

[Pyromania]

@cale_tucker

Looks like a nice release, thanx so much for the info. Are you the developer?

[cale_tucker]

Originally Posted by amiwolf

On IDE launch.


2MB Fast + 2MB Chip OS3.2

SnoopDos is saying the Software Failure is occuring on the 2nd write to aqb/prefs.ini during launch.

config sounds fine to me though the issue might be 3.2 related, I am testing on 3.1 only (don't have any later kickstarts).

The 68000 most likely isn't the issue - at least for me AQB runs (and compiles and debugs) just fine on a 68000.

[cale_tucker]

Originally Posted by Pyromania

@cale_tucker

Looks like a nice release, thanx so much for the info. Are you the developer?

yes, I am the developer behind AQB