HN Reader

This one emulates GW-BASIC as PC-BASIC so old BASIC programs for the IBM PC DOS systems can run on modern systems: https://robhagemans.github.io/pcbasic/

FreeBASIC is like Microsoft's QuickBASIC.

More BASIC Languages: https://www.thefreecountry.com/compilers/basic.shtml

Microsoft really should go back and look into open sourcing more of their really old tools. Get versions of MASM, QuickBasic, VisualBasic (the DOS version, of course), and so forth out there.

There's a lot to learn from these old tools and it'd be nice to have this stuff opened up for tinkerers on ancient platforms. It's not like MS is going to make any money off any of this anymore, nor is it viable for use on a modern platform even with substantial effort.

I really wonder why MS would not supper the whole BASIC legacy that anyway exists even without them.

I have some CDs from a computer magazine (in the 2000s) which provided you code archives even back to 90s (including good old QB stuffs).

FBC easily compile lots of them. Well, too bad still no macOS support.

But can it run Nibbles or Gorillas?

Is there an ide with form designer like visual basic?

Old discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38730966 (105 points | Dec 2023 | 70 comments)