RapidQ

RapidQ (also known as "Rapid-Q") is a free, cross-platform, semi-object-oriented BASIC programming language. It can create console, GUI, and CGI applications. The IDE includes a drag-and-drop form designer, syntax highlighting and single button compilation.

Programming with RapidQ offers a balanced combination of ease and power. Simple GUI programming can be accomplished with very few lines of code. Additional functionality, not normally seen in BASIC, are function callbacks, and primitive object-orientation. The language is called semi-object-oriented by its author because there are only two levels of class hierarchy: built-in classes, and user-defined classes derived from those; the latter cannot be extended further. The ability to call external shared libraries is available, thus giving full access to underlying system API. Other capabilities include built-in interfaces to DirectX and MySQL. All in all, RapidQ is a good example of proper application of the BASIC language design principles.

Versions are available for Microsoft Windows, Linux, Solaris, and HP-UX.

RapidQ features a bytecode compiler that produces stand alone executables by binding the generated bytecode with the interpreter. No external run-time libraries are needed; the bytecode interpreter is self-contained. The file sizes of executable files created by RapidQ are about 150 kilobytes or larger for console applications. (About 300KB according to http://basic.mindteq.com/Details/RapidQ.html)

RapidQ's author, William Yu, sold the source code to [http://realsoftware.com REAL Software] (makers of REALbasic) in 2000. The freely distributed program is still available and in use, but hasn't been updated since.

A new (started 2003) and very active development by James J Keene PhD [http://www.hotbasic.org/ HotBasic] is largely compatible with RapidQ and offers very similar syntax. Most RapidQ programs should be easily [http://mypages.cwdom.dm/keenej/rq_news.html portable] .

External links

* [http://members.xoom.virgilio.it/KCorporation/Soft/rqbeta.zip Unofficial Download Page 1]
* [http://www.holyguard.net/public/upload/rqbeta.zip Unofficial Download Page 2]
* [http://g.yi.org/?f=2372 Unofficial Download Page 3, including UNIX/Linux versions]
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rapidq Yahoo Forum] : Very active.
* [http://www.rapidq-france.org Rapidq France] : Active French community and many examples.
* [http://www.wildgardenseed.com/RQDP Rapid-Q Documentation Project (RQDP)] : Last version of RapidQ documentation.
* [http://www.telefonica.net/web2/rq/WiYu/ Mirror Rapidq] : copy of the original "www.basicguru.com/rapidq", which no longer exists..
* [http://burkleyd.ulmb.com/ Burkley's Bravado] : RapidQ source code examples and links.
* [http://rapidq.phatcode.net/ RapidQ Preface] : Numerous Include files and examples.