Editing SmallBASIC

{{Short description|BASIC programming language dialect with interpreters released as free software}}
{{About|the GPL programming language|the Microsoft programming language|Microsoft Small Basic}}
{{Infobox programming language
| name = SmallBASIC
| logo = SmallBASIC logo dark background.svg
| paradigm = 
| designer = 
| developer = 
| typing = 
| implementations = 
| dialects = 
| influenced = 
| license = [[GPL3|GPL 3]]
| website = [https://smallbasic.github.io smallbasic.github.io]
| file_ext = .bas
| year = <!-- Use {{Start date|YYYY}} -->
| latest_release_version = 12.27 (Windows/Linux/Android)<ref name="sf-files">{{cite web |url = https://smallbasic.github.io |title = Browse Files for SmallBASIC | date = 26 April 2024 | access-date = 23 May 2024 }}</ref>
| latest_release_date = {{Start date and age|2024|4|26}}<ref name="sf-files" />
| latest_test_version = 
| latest_test_date = 
| influenced_by = 
| programming_language = [[BASIC]]
| operating_system = 
| wikibooks = 
}}

'''SmallBASIC''' is a [[BASIC]] [[programming language]] [[Dialect (computing)|dialect]] with [[Interpreter (computing)|interpreter]]s released as  [[free software]] under the [[GNU General Public License]] version 3 for [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Linux]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]].

==Description==
The dialect is described by the authors as a second generation BASIC, and has a lot in common with [[QBasic]]. SmallBASIC includes trigonometric, matrices and algebra functions, a built in IDE, a string library, system, sound, and graphic commands along with structured programming syntax.

==Intended application==
The "Small" prefix in the name SmallBASIC reflects the project's original intention of being used with the [[Palm (PDA)|Palm]], a small hand-held device. SmallBASIC was designed for portability, and is written in [[C (programming language)|C]] with separate modules containing any code that is unique to a particular platform.<ref name="ascii-world">{{cite web |url=http://www.ascii-world.com/about-smallbasic |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112084122/http://www.ascii-world.com/about-smallbasic |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 November 2007 |title=About SmallBASIC |publisher=ASCII-World |date=22 February 1999 |access-date=19 January 2011 }}</ref><ref name="gnosis.cx">[http://gnosis.cx/publish/programming/palm_languages.html PalmOS Hosted Programming Languages]: Using the Palm as a Development Environment</ref>

SmallBASIC is intended to support the same sorts of applications supported by [[GW-BASIC]] and [[QBasic]] on the [[IBM Personal Computer|IBM PC]], with support for drawing [[Geometric primitive|Graphic Primitives]] to the screen, creating sounds, [[String (computer science)|String Manipulation]], and displaying text in various fonts. SmallBASIC also adds functions such as "File Save", "Save As", "Close File", and "Open File" to the Palm, a device with no native filesystem. SmallBASIC is also intended as a tool for mathematics, with  built-in functions for [[Conversion of units|Unit conversion]], [[Algebra]], [[Matrix math]], [[Trigonometry]], [[Statistics]], and for two and three dimensional [[Graph of a function|Equation Graphing]].<ref name="ascii-world" /><ref name="gnosis.cx" />

==History==

SmallBASIC was designed to run on minimal hardware. One of the primary platforms supported was [[Palm OS]],<ref name="freshmeat">[http://freshmeat.net/articles/palmos-software Freshmeat.net]: Editing text on PalmOS using SmallBASIC.</ref> where memory, CPU cycles, and screen space were limited. The SmallBASIC graphics engine could use ASCII graphics (similar to [[ASCII art]]) and therefore ran many programs on pure text devices. SmallBASIC runs even on Palm OS wristwatches made by [[Fossil, Inc.]]

==Platforms==

SmallBASIC is available for all [[POSIX]]-Compliant operating systems (including [[Linux]], [[BSD]], and [[UNIX]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://smallbasic.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/smallbasic/trunk/smallbasic/src/unix/ |title=SourceForge.net Repository - Unix |publisher=Smallbasic.svn.sourceforge.net |access-date=2011-01-22}}</ref> [[DOS]]/[[DJGPP]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://smallbasic.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/smallbasic/trunk/smallbasic/src/dos-djgpp/ |title=SourceForge.net Repository - DOS-DJGPP |publisher=Smallbasic.svn.sourceforge.net |access-date=2011-01-22}}</ref> [[Windows API|Win32]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://smallbasic.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/smallbasic/trunk/smallbasic/src/win32/ |title=SourceForge.net Repository - WIN32 |publisher=Smallbasic.svn.sourceforge.net |access-date=2011-01-22}}</ref> [[FLTK]],<ref name="McComb">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/robotbuilderssou00mcco |url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/robotbuilderssou00mcco/page/411 411] |quote=SmallBASIC. |title=Robot builder's sourcebook |publisher=McGraw-Hill Professional|author=Gordon McComb| isbn=0-07-140685-9 |year=2002 |access-date=19 January 2011}}</ref> VTOS,<ref name="McComb" /> [[Franklin eBookMan]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://smallbasic.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/smallbasic/trunk/smallbasic/src/ebm/ |title=SourceForge.net Repository - EBM |publisher=Smallbasic.svn.sourceforge.net |access-date=2011-01-22}}</ref> [[Cygwin]]/[[MingW]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://smallbasic.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/smallbasic/trunk/smallbasic/src/mingw/ |title=Sigwin/MinG |publisher=Smallbasic.svn.sourceforge.net |access-date=2011-01-22}}</ref> Helio/VT-OS,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://smallbasic.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/smallbasic/trunk/smallbasic/src/helio/ |title=SourceForge.net Repository - Helio |publisher=Smallbasic.svn.sourceforge.net |access-date=2011-01-22}}</ref> [[Android (operating system)|Android]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.sourceforge.smallbasic |title=SourceForge.net Repository - Android |publisher=Smallbasic.svn.sourceforge.net |access-date=2011-01-22}}</ref> the [[Nokia]] N770 Internet Tablet.,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sourceforge.net/projects/smallbasic/files/n770/ |title=SmallBASIC - N770 at |publisher=Sourceforge.net |access-date=2011-01-22}}</ref> and on any system that supports [[Simple DirectMedia Layer|SDL]], [[FLTK]], [[SVGALib]], [[Linux framebuffer]], or [[Graphics Device Interface|Windows GUI]].

== Syntax ==

The syntax of SmallBASIC has a lot in common with [[QBasic]].  [[Line number]]s are not required, and statements are terminated by [[newline]]s. Multiple statements may be written on a single line by separating each statement with a [[colon (punctuation)|colon]] (:)

An example [["Hello, World!" program]] is:

<syntaxhighlight lang="qbasic">
PRINT "Hello, World!"
</syntaxhighlight>

An example of how SmallBASIC allows to load an image file and display the image:

<syntaxhighlight lang="qbasic">
I = IMAGE("image_name.png")  'Loads a png file
I.SHOW(100,100) 'shows the image on screen at the coordinates 100,100 
</syntaxhighlight>

==Loadable modules==

External modules can be written in [[C (programming language)|C]] to extend the functionality provided by SmallBASIC.<ref name="smallbasicmodules">{{cite web|url=https://github.com/smallbasic/smallbasic.plugins |title=SmallBASIC plugins |website=[[GitHub]] |access-date=22 March 2022}}</ref> Since version 12.20 modules for [[Raylib]], [[Nuklear]] and [[WebSockets]] are included in the release.<ref name="smallbasicgithub">{{cite web|url=https://smallbasic.github.io |title=SmallBASIC Home Page |access-date=22 March 2022}}</ref> Additionally a loadable module to access the [[GPIO]] connector of the [[Raspberry Pi]] exists.<ref name="smallbasicpigpio">{{cite web|url=https://joe7m.github.io/SmallBasicPIGPIO/index.html |title=SmallBASIC PiGPIO Home Page |access-date=22 March 2022}}</ref>

==Reception==
*[[Tech Republic]] calls it "''an excellent tool to begin programming with.''"<ref>{{cite web |last=McPherson |first=James |url=http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5031775.html |title=Development in the palm of your hand, part 2 |publisher=Articles.techrepublic.com.com |date=4 June 2001 |access-date=19 January 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904213009/http://www.techrepublic.com/article/development-in-the-palm-of-your-hand-part-2/5031775 |archive-date=4 September 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*ASCII-World says "''SmallBASIC is an excellent tool for mathematics''"<ref name="ascii-world" />
* David Mertz, Ph.D. and Andrew Blais, Ph.D. of Gnosis Software say "''SmallBASIC has one of the better development interfaces [we have] reviewed. ''"<ref name="gnosis.cx" /><!-- Note: David Mertz s the author of the Charming Python webpgage - one of the most widely read discussions of the Python programming language worldwide. -->

==See also==
* [[Microsoft Small Basic]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{github|smallbasic}}
* [https://smallbasic.github.io SmallBASIC Home Page at Github pages]

{{BASIC}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:SmallBASIC}}
[[Category:BASIC programming language family]]
[[Category:Free and open source interpreters]]
[[Category:Cross-platform free software]]
[[Category:Free software programmed in C]]
[[Category:Free integrated development environments]]
[[Category:Palm OS software]]