- Run BASIC
Run BASIC is a BASIC language based web appserver. It is based on the popular Liberty BASIC language. Run BASIC v1.0 was released in Jan 2008. Run BASIC was developed by Shoptalk Systems, creators of the
Liberty BASIC andJust BASIC compilers.Programming Model
Run BASIC uses a desktop programming model. Web pages are not kept in individual files or dealt with as templates but are generated dynamically as determined by the programmer.
Traditionalist procedural programmers can create entire applications using subroutines and functions, similar to how it is done in popular languages like
QBasic . Application is state is managed automatically and transparently.If desired programmers can componentize their systems into objects and call methods on them. Any object can render itself into a web page. This makes it easy to have different parts of a web page managed in a modular way.
User Interface Capabilities
Run BASIC favors a widget-based user interface where the programmer codes the UI without using HTML. High-level commands drive automatically generated HTML. Once everything is working then color, fonts, backgrounds and layout can be adjusted using CSS.
If needed HTML or Javascript can be injected into a page for custom effects.
Interactivity is similar to that of desktop applications, with callbacks to tie user actions to program routines. It isn't necessary to marshall a web request and interpret it with a case statement or a session key. This all happens automatically.
Graphics
Run BASIC can draw graphics and render them into web pages.
Web 2.0
Run BASIC can fetch files from other web sites using GET and POST and use a built-in XML parser to extract data.
Database
Run BASIC includes a database capability using the SQLite database engine.
Browser Compatibility
The following browsers are supported for use with Run BASIC. Internet Explorer 6 and 7, Firefox 2 and 3, Safari 3.x.
Web Server Details
Run BASIC is not an add-on module like Perl or PHP is for Apache, but instead the BASIC compiler and execution model is integrated tightly with its own HTTP server. Run BASIC can be proxied behind another web server (Apache for example) if needed.
Session management is transparent to the programmer. When someone visits a web application then they are given a session. If the user is then inactive long enough (this duration is customizable) the session will time out and memory will be reclaimed. The application programmer doesn't have to put session logic in his code.
pecial features of the Run BASIC web site
There is a sandboxed version of the Run BASIC server embedded in the Run BASIC site that allows anyone with a browser and an internet connection to experiment with BASIC programming. It works with popular browsers on Windows, Mac, Linux and small devices like cellphones. There is no browser plugin needed.
The site at http://www.runbasic.com includes interesting examples (the Examples tab) including some graphical games, and there is an interactive lesson for beginners (the Learn tab).
ee also
*
Liberty BASIC (The Windows-based BASIC that Run BASIC is derived from)
*Just BASIC (a freeware version of Liberty BASIC)
*SQLite A popular database engine used by Run BASICExternal links
* [http://www.runbasic.com Run BASIC]
* [http://runbasic.proboards82.com Run BASIC Forum]
* [http://www.libertybasic.com/basicology.html BASIC-ology] - A flash movie demonstrating Run BASIC
* [http://runbasic.wikispaces.com Run BASIC Wiki]
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