PowerBASIC

PowerBASIC is the brand of several commercial compilers by Venice, Florida-based PowerBASIC Inc. that compile a dialect of the BASIC programming language. The DOS versions have a syntax similar to that of QBasic and QuickBASIC, while the Windows versions utilize a standard BASIC syntax combined with calls to the API similar to other Windows programming languages. The first version was published as BASIC/Z; later it was distributed by Borland as Turbo Basic and since 1989, it has been known as PowerBASIC. [cite web|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-28422911_ITM|title=PowerBASIC makes smooth move; Tech company finds region's affordability attractive. | |publisher=Sarasota Herald Tribune (October , 2000)|accessdate=2008-03-12|last=|first=] [citebook|title=PC Based Instrumentation and Control|author=Michael H. Tooley|year= 2005|publisher=Elsevier|pages=214|id=ISBN 0750647167]

Characteristics

PowerBASIC is a native-code BASIC compiler whose reported merits are its simplicity of use and its speed compared to other languages. ["New geometries for new materials", Eric A. Lord, AlanLindsay Mackay, Srinivasa Ranganathan, Cambridge University Press, 2006, ISBN 0521861047 ("a very simple user interface ... speed and power of the underlying C++ ... runs extremely fast") [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=s22_x-O8pEoC&pg=PP3&vq=%22powerbasic%22&dq=%22powerBASIC%22&source=gbs_search_s&sig=uxOcCJGJsvTcUWasxzAaeRiDx3o Google Books] ] ["Chaos and Time-series Analysis", Julien C. Sprott, Oxford University Press, 2003, ISBN 0198508409 ("easy to learn, powerful, and as fast as any C compiler I have encountered") [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SEDjdjPZ158C&pg=PR6&vq=PowerBASIC&dq=%22powerBASIC%22&source=gbs_search_s&sig=SBPpyPfT7S2V_-ixWTYrYvlEnZI Google Books] ]

PowerBASIC programs are self-contained and do not require runtime files to execute.The "PowerBASIC for Windows" compiler can create both GUI-based EXEs and DLLs, while "PowerBASIC Console Compiler for Windows" can create command line applications. Both Windows versions include an IDE with a source code debugger, and offer access to independent DLLs if desired. "PowerBASIC Forms", a visual user interface design tool, is also available as an add-on for "PowerBASIC for Windows". [ [http://www.powerbasic.com/products/pbforms PowerBASIC Forms ] ]

The "PowerBASIC for Windows" compilers are compatible with the Windows 9x series and the Windows NT series of operating systems, including Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. [ [http://www.powerbasic.com/products/pbdll32/ PowerBASIC Compiler for Windows ] ] "PowerBASIC for DOS" is also available including support for versions of DOS from 3.30 onwards and includes a DOS-based IDE. [ [http://www.powerbasic.com/products/pbdos/ PowerBASIC 3.5 for DOS ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.powerbasic.com PowerBASIC company website]