This file describes Liberty BASIC 1.0a! Registered Users of Liberty BASIC will enjoy the powerful programming language described below. Version 1.0a features that users of Liberty BASIC 0.9 will appreciate: Greater stability ; Random access files are supported. This is easier than Microsoft's random file I/O, doing more while demanding less from you ; Does not choke on variable names that start with reserved words ; The compiler is faster ; A new distribution mechanism provides a way to share your Liberty BASIC programs with no runtime charges ; BASIC programs can be "tokenized". Tokenized Liberty BASIC files compile 40% faster than straight text files ; Debugging is less work. Cleaner user interface ; All window types now know how to trap the close event ; The graphics window can now read the mouse. A drawing program is included ; Bitmapped buttons (buttons with pictures) can now be added, and so can pull-down menus ; Spreadsheet performance has been improved ; Two new window types allow you to define your own dialog boxes ; A new array sort command lets you sort both single and double dimensioned arrays. You can sort just part of an array, or the whole thing. Double dimensioned arrays can be sorted by any column - all the rows are sorted by that column, automatically. BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Registered users will receive a free evaluation copy of BASIC Training (copyright Cascoly Software). A complete introduction to Basic, starting with the simplest elements and working up to advanced concepts. BASIC TRAINING is shareware. It's a complete introduction to the elements of Basic. The table of contents includes: Simple Controls Looping, Color & Sound Arrays & DATA GOSUBs and Functions Files Simple Graphics This interactive tutorial comes complete with numerous examples that you can run and modify. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! Liberty BASIC is the first Shareware Windows BASIC that lets you write real Windows programs, not just character mode programs in a Windows window! With Liberty BASIC, you don't need to know anything about how Microsoft Windows works, so writing programs in this popular environment is now within the reach of absolutely anyone who has only a rudimentary knowledge of BASIC. Liberty BASIC has easy to use, built in window objects. There is a window object for graphics, one for text, and one is a spreadsheet for performing data entry. There are also two window types for building dialog boxes. Text labeled and now BITMAPPED buttons can be added to these windows as desired, and pull down menus can also be added. Many sample button bitmaps included, and you can create your own with Windows Paint! NEW!! Listboxes and comboboxes, and other dialog box objects can now be added to your windows! The color graphics window does turtle graphics and will draw lines, boxes, circles, ellipses, pie slices and text in any font/size. Control over both foreground and background colors is provided. Any of these figures can be filled or unfilled. Adding mouse control to Liberty BASIC programs is easy,and an example drawing application is included! Graphics can be drawn in segments, which can be individually manipulated. The text window is great for freeform data entry. A Rolodex application is included as an illustration of its use. The spreadsheet is great for forms and tabular entry. A graphing program illustrates how useful it is. User defined dialog boxes are supported. Several kinds of simple pop-up dialog boxes are provided for input, notification, confirmation, and file selection. A powerful visual debugger is included. This powerful tool makes learning to program easy and fun by letting you watch each line execute and see each variable change value as your program runs. Novices and experienced programmers alike will especially appreciate this facility. Here is a list of the supported commands for the registered version. ABS() ACS() ASN() ATN() ASC() BEEP BUTTON BMPBUTTON CHECKBOX CHR$() CLOSE CLS COLOR COMBOBOX CONFIRM COS() DATE$() DIM END EOF() EXP() FIELD FILEDIALOG FOR...NEXT GET GETTRIM GOSUB...RETURN GOTO GROUPBOX IF...THEN...ELSE INPUT$() INPUT INPUT # INSTR() INT() LEFT$() LEN() LET LISTBOX LOF() LOG() LPRINT MENU MID$() NOTICE OPEN PRINT PRINT # PROMPT PUT REM RETURN RIGHT$() RND() STOP SIN() STATICTEXT SORT STR$() TAN() TEXTBOX TIME$() TRACE TRIM$() USING() VAL() WHILE...WEND WORD$() Here is a list of the supported graphics commands: COLOR GOTO PLACE UP DOWN GO LINE FILL FLUSH SIZE CLS FONT NORTH TURN POSXY PRINT CIRCLE HOME TRAPCLOSE CIRCLEFILLED ELLIPSE ELLIPSEFILLED BOX BOXFILLED PIE PIEFILLED BACKCOLOR SEGMENT DELSEGMENT REDRAW LEFTBUTTONDOWN LEFTBUTTONUP LEFTBUTTONMOVE MOUSEMOVE RIGHTBUTTONDOWN RIGHTBUTTONUP RIGHTBUTTONMOVE LEFTDOUBLECLICK RIGHTDOUBLECLICK WHEN DISCARD Here is a list of the spreadsheet commands: INDIRECT MANUAL CELL FORMAT RESULT? FORMULA? SELECT USER FLUSH SAVE LOAD MODIFIED? TRAPCLOSE Here is a list of the text window commands: CLS FONT LINES LINE ORIGIN? ORIGIN SELECTION? SELECTALL COPY CUT PASTE MODIFIED? TRAPCLOSE Sample programs illustrate how to use the above commands. Included are a drawing program, a calculator program, a rolodex application, a graphing application, an analog clock program, the game "Tower of Hanoi", and more. Language features: Lines numbers are supported but not required and can be replaced by meaningful alphanumeric labels ; Variable names can be as long as needed and all characters are significant ; Strings do not have the usual 256 character size limitation and are limited only by available memory ; Arrays may be single or double dimensioned and may be as large as available memory ; Liberty BASIC is very similar to traditional Microsoft BASIC in syntax. Anyone familiar with BASIC will feel right at home Is there feature you need that isn't mentioned here? Don't let it stop you from becoming a Liberty BASIC programmer. Call us and we'll do our best to add it in! Shoptalk Systems P.O. Box 1062 Framingham, MA 01701 508-872-5315 Compuserve 71231, 1532 Now Liberty BASIC can be registered on Compuserve's Shareware Registration service! This makes it easy to pay the registration fee of $35. Just type GO SWREG to register, and use Liberty BASIC's ID code 120. The $35 will be added to your Compuserve billing, and Shoptalk Systems will send you your registered copy. BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Registered users will receive a free evaluation copy of BASIC Training (copyright Cascoly Software). A complete introduction to Basic, starting with the simplest elements and working up to advanced concepts. BASIC TRAINING is shareware. It's a complete introduction to the elements of Basic. The table of contents includes: Simple Controls Looping, Color & Sound Arrays & DATA GOSUBs and Functions Files Simple Graphics This interactive tutorial comes complete with numerous examples that you can run and modify. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!! BONUS!!!