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Hey All,
I'm involved in a local tech meetup and will be giving a talk on QB64 (tomorrow evening). It'll be introductory - some history of BASIC/QB64, a tutorial on using QB64, and demonstrating some cool things about QB64.
If anyone has things they think would be worth mentioning - I'd love to hear them!
For example, I'd love to hear what some of the most impressive projects built with QB64 are, unique features of the language, cool libraries or tools one should try out, great tutorials, etc.
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03-31-2025, 12:51 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-31-2025, 12:53 PM by mdijkens.)
Not sure if it helps you, but if someone asks about professional usage:
I am using QB64 for years professionally. Several big companies use console based tools (win/mac/linux) I've created for them.
Most deal with huge files in one way or another;
- comparing / merging / converting 100GB+ logfiles
- SEPA/SWIFT payment-batches
- import/export conversions
- automated backup/copy processes
QB64 is one of the most performant environments for complex huge file processing and compiles same source to linux/mac/windows.
Of course main reason to use QB64 is because I natively speak it :-) No google needed
45y and 2M lines of MBASIC>BASICA>QBASIC>QBX>QB64 experience
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(03-31-2025, 01:53 PM)davidshq Wrote: @ahenry3068 - I'll definitely take a look!
@mdijkens - That is great! Curious, do you have any suggestions on how folks could find this sort of work? I know there is a lot of old code out there, but how does one find these sort of projects to work on?
I have good contacts with these customers so I hear what they're running into and can propose to make small utility-programs for them.
I only do small tools with very clear scope and definition; I hate project teams, meetings, reports, management, scope creep, etc.
In the years I've build my own QB64 library of functions to get maximum performance and flexibility. Mostly on file-processing, csv/json/xml, https and serial
45y and 2M lines of MBASIC>BASICA>QBASIC>QBX>QB64 experience
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Much like mdijkens, I've also used Qbasic, QuickBasic 7.1, and more recently QB64 professionally, for years. In my case, for navigation or tactical software, military programs. The test scenarios, test results, listing of the code, do become included in formal reports, contract deliverables, which detail the requirements for operational software. I also provide the .exe files with these reports, if it helps the users to run their own tests, to double check the algorithms.
The actual software development team have always transcribed these to either C or C++, depending on the programmer involved. The point I wanted to make is that I've never had the slightest problem with the QB64 code listed in the deliverable reports. The software guys have never had trouble understanding the code or even just transcribing it verbatim and then verifying the results with the ones documented in whatever report.
I think that one big advantage of using Basic this way, similar to Pascal in this regard, is that just about any programmer can decipher the Basic code easily enough.
I'd almost describe it as a lingua franca, for this type of work anyway.
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Thanks everyone! Looking forward to sharing tonight, definitely planning on sharing Terry Ritchie's tutorial.
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And don't forget to mentioned SCREEN 0 is the only screen you'll ever need! Actually with the addition of hardware accessibility, that's almost true.
Best wishes with the broadcast,
Pete
