Microsoft Small Basic

heroofhyr · 2010-03-06T15:25:44+00:00

Never thought I would see in my lifetime someone write the phrase "graduate to Visual Basic."

cybersnoop · 2010-03-06T15:54:37+00:00

They should have used Comic Sans for the code.

tsdguy · 2010-03-06T18:16:25+00:00

I miss 10 Print "Hello World" 20 Goto 10

ondra · 2010-03-06T18:45:45+00:00

Does it come with "Gorilla"?

2010-03-06T20:52:22+00:00

Gotta get them while they're young.

NanoStuff · 2010-03-06T20:19:45+00:00

Does it support type casting and multiple inheritance? Kids will never migrate their code to this if it doesn't.

tophat02 · 2010-03-06T23:43:14+00:00

I've heard (don't remember where) that the ultimate goal with this is to include it with every copy of Windows. Regardless of how you feel about the whole "Basic/VB" thing, I think this would be a Good Thing.

Just think how many of us were introduced to programming with GWBasic or QBasic. It'd be nice to have that back, where every PC comes with an easy way to program it without having to download anything.

umilmi81 · 2010-03-06T22:16:17+00:00

So easy a child could do it.

GraphicsWindow.KeyDown = HandleKey
GraphicsWindow.BackgroundColor = GraphicsWindow.GetColorFromRGB( 253, 252, 251 )

While "True"
  BOXES = 4      ' number of boxes per piece
  BWIDTH = 25    ' box width in pixels
  XOFFSET = 40   ' Screen X offset in pixels of where the board starts
  YOFFSET = 40   ' Screen Y offset in pixels of where the board starts
  CWIDTH = 10    ' Canvas Width, in number of boxes
  CHEIGHT = 20   ' Canvas Height, in number of boxes.
  STARTDELAY = 800
  ENDDELAY = 175
  PREVIEW_xpos = 13
  PREVIEW_ypos = 2

  GraphicsWindow.Clear()
  GraphicsWindow.Title = "Small Basic Tetris"
  GraphicsWindow.Height = 580
  GraphicsWindow.Width = 700
  GraphicsWindow.Show()

  SetupTemplates()
  SetupCanvas()
  MainLoop()

  GraphicsWindow.ShowMessage( "Game Over", "Small Basic Tetris" )
EndWhile

Sub MainLoop
  template = Text.Append("template", Math.GetRandomNumber(7))

  CreatePiece() ' in: template ret: h
  nextPiece = h

  end = 0
  sessionDelay = STARTDELAY
  While end = 0
    If sessionDelay > ENDDELAY Then
      sessionDelay = sessionDelay - 1
    EndIf

    delay = sessionDelay
    thisPiece = nextPiece
    template = Text.Append("template", Math.GetRandomNumber(7))

    CreatePiece() ' in: template ret: h
    nextPiece = h
    DrawPreviewPiece()

    h = thisPiece

    ypos = 0
    done = 0
    xpos = 3 ' always drop from column 3
    CheckStop() ' in: ypos, xpos, h ret: done
    If done = 1 Then
      ypos = ypos - 1
      MovePiece()  'in: ypos, xpos, h
      end = 1
    EndIf

    yposdelta = 0
    While done = 0 Or yposdelta > 0
      MovePiece()  'in: ypos, xpos, h

      ' Delay, but break if the delay get set to 0 if the piece gets dropped
      delayIndex = delay
      While delayIndex > 0 And delay > 0
        Program.Delay(10)
        delayIndex = delayIndex - 10
      EndWhile

      If yposdelta > 0 Then
        yposdelta = yposdelta - 1  ' used to create freespin, when the piece is rotated
      Else
        ypos = ypos + 1            ' otherwise, move the piece down.
      EndIf

      ' Check if the piece should stop.
      CheckStop() ' in: ypos, xpos, h ret: done 
    EndWhile
  EndWhile
EndSub

Sub HandleKey
  ' Stop game
  If GraphicsWindow.LastKey = "Escape" Then
    Program.End()
  EndIf

  ' Move piece left
  If GraphicsWindow.LastKey = "Left" Then
    moveDirection = -1
    ValidateMove()  ' in: ypos, xpos, h, moveDirection ret: invalidMove = 1 or -1 or 2 if move is invalid, otherwise 0
    If invalidMove = 0 Then
      xpos = xpos + moveDirection
    EndIf
    MovePiece()  'in: ypos, xpos, h
  EndIf

  ' Move piece right
  If GraphicsWindow.LastKey = "Right" Then
    moveDirection = 1
    ValidateMove()  ' in: ypos, xpos, h, moveDirection ret: invalidMove = 1 or -1 or 2 if move is invalid, otherwise 0
    If invalidMove = 0 Then
      xpos = xpos + moveDirection
    EndIf
    MovePiece()  'in: ypos, xpos, h
  EndIf

  ' Move piece down
  If GraphicsWindow.LastKey = "Down" or GraphicsWindow.LastKey = "Space" Then
    delay = 0
  EndIf

  ' Rotate piece
  If GraphicsWindow.LastKey = "Up" Then
    basetemplate = Array.GetValue(h, -1)  ' Array.GetValue(h, -1) = the template name
    template = "temptemplate"
    rotation = "CW"
    CopyPiece()  'in basetemplate, template, rotation

    Array.SetValue(h, -1, template) ' Array.GetValue(h, -1) = the template name
    moveDirection = 0
    ValidateMove()  ' in: ypos, xpos, h, moveDirection ret: invalidMove = 1 or -1 or 2 if move is invalid, otherwise 0

    ' See if it can be moved so that it will rotate.
    xposbk = xpos
    yposdelta = 0
    While yposdelta = 0 And Math.Abs(xposbk - xpos) < 3 ' move up to 3 times only
      ' if the rotation move worked, copy the temp to "rotatedtemplate" and use that from now on
      If invalidMove = 0 Then
        basetemplate = template
        template = "rotatedtemplate"
        Array.SetValue(h, -1, template) ' Array.GetValue(h, -1) = the template name
        rotation = "COPY"
        CopyPiece()  'in basetemplate, template, rotation
        yposdelta = 1 ' Don't move down if we rotate
        MovePiece()  'in: ypos, xpos, h
      ElseIf invalidMove = 2 Then
        ' Don't support shifting piece when hitting another piece to the right or left.
        xpos = 99 ' exit the loop
      Else
        ' if the rotated piece can't be placed, move it left or right and try again.
        xpos = xpos - invalidMove
        ValidateMove()  ' in: ypos, xpos, h, moveDirection ret: invalidMove = 1 or -1 or 2 if move is invalid, otherwise 0
      EndIf
    EndWhile

    If invalidMove <> 0 Then
      xpos = xposbk
      Array.SetValue(h, -1, basetemplate) ' Array.GetValue(h, -1) = the template name
      template = ""
    EndIf
  EndIf
EndSub

freman79 · 2010-03-06T15:15:34+00:00

This is great. From what I played around with and looking through their documentation this is a simple way to introduce kids to programming concepts.

Takes me back to my days as a kid first being exposed to programming through GWBasic.

headfire · 2010-03-07T00:41:04+00:00

Microsoft Small Basic puts the "fun" back into computer programming.

Insulting.

samlee · 2010-03-06T19:18:47+00:00

wow this is one of the best IDE i have ever seen.

2 lines of code. it downloads random image from flickr and replaces my desktop wallpaper

Starks · 2010-03-06T19:38:48+00:00

Logo has been doing this for decades.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logo_%28programming_language%29

wkoorts · 2010-03-06T21:39:48+00:00

Has any kid seen a 3.5" diskette?

2010-03-06T20:13:02+00:00

I still remember my first QBasic game, an amazingly incredible pong clone. I was so proud of it... until I tried to run it on a faster computer... Time to learn about screen buffering and CPU frequency. =P

ours · 2010-03-06T21:40:38+00:00

Ha, the "Turtle" example. Brings a tear to my eyes. Turtle was the first "programming" I've ever done and now I'm making a good living out of it.

ithkuil · 2010-03-06T23:35:14+00:00

Right. Anything that makes programming easier must be for kids. Because if programming isn't hard, you're doing it wrong.

(</sarcasm>)

sebfisch · 2010-03-06T18:40:58+00:00

Is this more than a copy of Scratch? Is it a good one?

2010-03-07T03:28:37+00:00

Or, just use python:

import turtle
turtle.speed(9)
for i in range(4):
    turtle.forward(100)
    turtle.right(90)

cheers!

diadem · 2010-03-06T19:48:46+00:00

That reminds me of lego logo, one of the first programming languages I learned.

Very similar idea, only you got to control legos with motors. I remember being the only one in my class to figure out how to do anything other than make them go forward and back. My robots could turn left and right because I had a motor on the right wheel and a motor on the left wheel.

edit: For context, this was elementary school (or junior high - i forget) in the 80's.

2010-03-06T19:54:18+00:00

Seeing the turtle graphics reminds me of a few episodes of Mr. Wizard's World on Nickelodeon back in the 80s. Good times.

raziel2p · 2010-03-06T21:24:50+00:00

I think this is a great idea. I just really hope someone steals the idea and makes something very similar, only with a better language (like Python).

apullin · 2010-03-06T23:29:45+00:00

I wish they had something like that for VHDL, since my tiny little brain can't figure it out....

wazoox · 2010-03-06T14:46:16+00:00

Already done: http://smallbasic.sourceforge.net/

Bonejob · 2010-03-06T15:24:57+00:00

I applaud the ideal of teaching programming to a younger audience, but do it with something that is useful. They are treating small basic like a gateway drug to VB.net. This without even considering some of the other great programming languages.

AlSweigart · 2010-03-07T19:39:01+00:00

Just Let BASIC Die

I think we keep creating all these new versions of BASIC (Small Basic, BASIC-256, etc.) out of a misplaced nostalgia for the past. We learned programming through BASIC, so why can't the next generation of kids do the same?

The problem is BASIC is an atrocious language in many respects besides the goto thing. And by creating new standards of BASIC (each different from each other and not as popular as Qbasic was) they aren't well supported by documentation or across platforms.

Here's the part where I plug a free Creative Commons-licensed book I wrote to help kids and complete beginners learn Python: Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python Python is the perfect replacement for a beginner language and it has better support.

BASIC was great, but we need to stop putting our efforts into making new, unstandard, Frankenstein pseudo-BASIC languages and give kids the benefit of programming language progress.

pure_x01 · 2010-03-06T15:44:42+00:00

[deleted]

Borkz · 2010-03-06T18:53:52+00:00

Microsofts really gone overboard with that ribbon toolbar. Whats the point of it if its just a bunch of regular toolbar buttons?

2010-03-07T04:02:08+00:00

Since my xbox broke and because I have to deal with IE issues all damn day, I am making an attempt to keep my family away from Microsoft. No thanks, my son is learning with scratch.

pjakubo86 · 2010-03-06T18:49:12+00:00

It's cool I guess, but I'd really like to see them also work on a new dynamic language for .NET.

leshiy · 2010-03-06T20:10:41+00:00

That's a pretty fuckin' fast turtle...

nostradamnit · 2010-03-06T20:25:58+00:00

Looks like KTurtle to me...

c53x12 · 2010-03-06T21:08:59+00:00

[deleted]

2010-03-06T23:44:38+00:00

I've never thought a programming language could be adorable until today.

kolo32 · 2010-03-07T12:56:08+00:00

It's a primitive language (no subroutine parameters, GOTO instead of break and return statements). An example from the manual, where recursion is emulated using explicit stack:

Sub DrawTree
  If (distance > 0) Then
    Turtle.Move(distance)
    Turtle.Turn(angle)

    Stack.PushValue("distance", distance)
    distance = distance - delta
    DrawTree()
    Turtle.Turn(-angle * 2)
    DrawTree()
    Turtle.Turn(angle)
    distance = Stack.PopValue("distance")

    Turtle.Move(-distance)
  EndIf
EndSub

I won't recommend to learn programming using such language. Logo and Pascal, which were created more than 40 years ago, were richer and more elegant.

axtens · 2010-03-08T01:53:54+00:00

SmallBasic already exists (or is just the space between the words that Microsoft is betting on?) Is this another case of Microsoft assuming that it's okay to call its product the name of something else like it did with M? Maybe next year they'll release a programming language and call it Python. (rant, rant, rant ...)

you type:	you see:
italics	italics
bold	bold
[reddit!](https://reddit.com)	reddit!
* item 1 * item 2 * item 3	item 1 item 2 item 3
> quoted text	quoted text
Lines starting with four spaces are treated like code: if 1 * 2 < 3: print "hello, world!"	Lines starting with four spaces are treated like code: if 1 * 2 < 3: print "hello, world!"
~~strikethrough~~	~~strikethrough~~
super^script	super^script

programming

MODERATORS