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Post by Tom Mulgrew on Aug 19, 2006 19:06:04 GMT -5
Okay, the next version is up on the main page.
This one has plugin DLL support, but is otherwise the same as the previous version. And as of yet there aren't any actual plugins for it!
I've also released the corresponding version of the plugin DLL. If you've been writing plugins with the experimental version, you'll need to update them to compile under the new SDK, otherwise they wont work with this Basic4GL version. I'm hoping the plugin SDK format wont change too much after this release (or if it does, that I can find a way to make Basic4GL backward compatible with older plugin DLL formats).
I've also added support for accessing the Basic4GL text display from inside a plugin, and accessing the screen (properties like width and height, and the ability to invoke swap-buffers).
There are a couple more basic examples that demonstrate how to do this.
-Tom
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Post by davy on Aug 20, 2006 15:59:04 GMT -5
Awesome! I'm sure I will figure them out if not... But could you list some of the improvements you've made to the dll capabilities? Regardless, this dll stuff is fun, are you still thinking about releasing a stripped down version of basic4gl?
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Post by STT on Aug 21, 2006 1:34:49 GMT -5
Why realese a stripped down version?
Good stuff, btw.
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Post by Tom Mulgrew on Aug 21, 2006 4:03:15 GMT -5
Awesome! I'm sure I will figure them out if not... But could you list some of the improvements you've made to the dll capabilities? Regardless, this dll stuff is fun, are you still thinking about releasing a stripped down version of basic4gl? They're not major... But off the top of my head: * Basic4GL remembers which plugin DLLs each program uses, and loads them when you load the program, so it's ready to run. * Can fetch interfaces to the Basic4GL text system and OpenGL window. * Can tell Basic4GL about objects created in the DLL, so that it calls the DLL to free them when the program finishes. Also assigns each object a number which you can return to the Basic4GL program (so you can assign it to a variable). This is the same mechanism the Basic4GL built-in libraries for sprite handles, file handles etc. * Added "ProcessMessages" function to plugin DLLs. This is a good place for processing windows messages, checking keystates etc. * Added internal version number mechanism to plugin DLLs. So Basic4GL knows whether it's compatible with a plugin (incase it was written for a newer/older Basic4GL version). *May* allow me to build some backward compatibility into it if I need to change the plugin DLL mechanism again. * Renamed some interfaces to make them more consistent. (They all now have _Basic4GL_ in the name.. To ensure the names don't clash with any code your plugin DLL uses.) Snapper - There's a thread somewhere (search for "PluginBasic") about the benefits of a cut down version of Basic4GL that relies on plugins for all its functions. Briefly speaking it would mean smaller program distibutions if you don't use all the library functions, and wouldn't force you to use an OpenGL window if you had, for example, a DirectX window plugin. -Tom |
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Post by Tom Mulgrew on Aug 21, 2006 4:05:56 GMT -5
Forgot to answer the question! I'll probably throw up a cut-down version with the next release, unless you (or anybody) wants something sooner. It's not hard to create one.
-Tom
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Post by davy on Aug 21, 2006 10:04:42 GMT -5
I guess that depends how soon the next release will be. If you're talking 2 or 3 weeks then I can wait. But if it'll be longer then that, I would love to have it sooner. What all are you looking to cut out? I think the sprite engine, the network engine and maybe opengl itself.
But yeah, its no big thing really, but a stripped down basic4gl would pretty much be like being able to make your own basic language!
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Post by Tom Mulgrew on Aug 22, 2006 5:00:14 GMT -5
The next release should be a while away. I want to get proper procedures and functions implemented. (It's the last real hole in the language..)
The cut-down version would be completely cut down.
It would basically have the language, plus the very core functions that are usually associated with BASIC (things like "len", "left$" etc).
There would be no I/O, and not even an OpenGL window.
It really would be up to the plugins to determine what the language would be capable of.
-Tom
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Post by James :) (aka Madcow) on Sept 5, 2006 4:25:42 GMT -5
i gonna make a dill compatible with the new version of basic 4gl and visual basic 6 .
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Post by James :) (aka Madcow) on Sept 5, 2006 4:41:19 GMT -5
impossible unless
basic 4gl reads the first three lines of it for the info like:
name
description
author
then compiles the code
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Post by Nicky Peter Hollyoake on Oct 13, 2006 23:29:09 GMT -5
Is Tom still going to be making updated versions? Cause now that he added that plugin we can make our own commands and I just don't know if hes still going to be updating it still and theres not many people making c++ DLL's so yeah it would be nice if he kept updating it still.
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Post by James :) (aka Madcow) on Oct 17, 2006 16:55:48 GMT -5
yup he still is
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