Small Basic

Small Basic is a programming language written by Microsoft, compatible with Win XP+, which has a main benefit of generating a 3-file standalone(?) executable when you run the program:

• <filename>.exe
• <filename>.pdb
• SmallBasicLibrary.dll

I will express the pros and cons in an imaginary conversation.

Why is Small Basic so much better than JavaScript or PythonLanguage?

It isn't. Actually it is a much harder to use programming language, for advanced programmers anyway.

So what's so good about it then?

Well, several things. You can implement many outdated or unused parts of Windows. Not to their full capacity, but still using them.

What sort of things?

I'll list them. (Isn't WikiWiki great for this sort of thing?)

• You can use CommandPrompt windows without needing a batch file.
• You can use the old 'Send Message' function from XP task manager -

I can do that on my XP!

sent to the user RUNNING THE PROGRAM.

Let's explain this a bit more.

The user running the program will get the message, and the program will not continue until OK is pressed on the message box. You can change the title and the message.

Useful, I suppose...

I'm not done.

The CommandPrompt window is called the Text Window. You give it the information to print in strings. It also receives text entered into it, and can set variables to the strings, or numbers, you type into it.

Hmmm... Go on.

Numbers can be added to strings, and when this is the case, the number becomes a string before -

But what if I made a mistake and told it to give me a string, not a number?

Be Patient! As I was saying, the number becomes a string before being added to the other string. And if a string with numeric values is added to 0 (or any other number), it becomes a string.

So, in English?

This IS English. It doesn't really matter if you have a string containing only numbers or a number value, as at the end of the day, they are treated the same.

Anything else?

Yes. You can also create Sprites, draw a fixed background, and exmport images to the GUI, or Graphics Window.

Done?

Not quite. You can edit files, download information, record data, end the program, wait a number of milliseconds, get the date, time, individual values of the date and time, etc. All with ONE COMMAND EACH

Oh. I'm definitely using it.

You can also implement it into HTML using MicrosoftSilverlight, but there is one problem...

What?

It seems to be a little... experimental. Or rather, buggy. And it's practically useless for online activities. And it's more basic than VisualBasic. Changed your mind?

--SimonMould