I'll be needing some beta testers shortly.

[xxgeek]

Anyone interested in testing a new app for JB?
It's a help lab type app.  
I'll be adding a few more things as we test it. A couple are not implemented as yet. Some are minor changes in the way it does things.
I would like to get it out before x-mas if we can get it rock solid. It seems good so far, but one man testing won't wipe out all possible errors. 

Not looking for a ton of new advice, but always open to it. (for version 2)

Let me know and I'll send the code through private messages. It is not to make money on (for me anyway). It will be posted in the forums as free for any purpose, by anyone. I just want it hidden until it's ready. 

reply$ = "yes"
confirm "Would you like to be a beta tester";reply$
if reply$ = "no" then
print "I hate you now, for at least an hour while I do what would have been your share, and pout about it"
else
if reply$ = "yes" then
print "Look in your PM's tomorrow"
end if
end if
end

Thanks to all who reply "yes" (or send a PM to my Username)
And to the rest of y'all  - I'll get over it

[jarych]

xxgeek,
You did not say what kind of program you want to ask for people to test. One would like to know what the program is designed or expected to do. You might like to tell what kind of form of data input is needed. You might attract people to test if you can both show all the code and include TKN file. Maybe give the whole package to be tested in a zip file which can run all in its own folder?

[xxgeek]

Oct 22, 2021 1:38:55 GMT jarych said:

xxgeek ,
You did not say what kind of program you want to ask for people to test. One would like to know what the program is designed or expected to do. You might like to tell what kind of form of data input is needed. You might attract people to test if you can both show all the code and include TKN file. Maybe give the whole package to be tested in a zip file which can run all in its own folder?

A picture can say it better than I can

Attachments:

[Rod]

Ok, some feedback. You know where you are going but I doubt if anyone else does. The picture probably confuses jarych more. You have a full on GUI. I have just had a similar experience trying to use Blender, the open source animation and 3d drawing tool. Massively complex, will probably take me another five years to get competent at drawing with it if I persevere.

This is a beginners forum, baby steps, what is your project about, in no more than three sentences. (beginners don't even know what an .exe is)

[xxgeek]

Ok, I'll try to clear this up.
ONE WARNING FIRST that you will see repeated in future.
DO NOT TRY AND COPY THIS CODE using THIS APP when you recieve the code.
The Delimiter will corrupt your files.
I will provide another copy with a different delimiter.


I am a beginner myself with just basic. Downloaded JB about a year ago.
My biggest issue was finding information (especially in a timely manner)
So I decided to, as I was learning, start a project to help others learn to code JB.
This app has been "a work in progress" ever since.
As I read everything I could get my eyes on, JB Forums, JB Help, outside forums and websites
eg: Alices Restaurant site, the JB archives, even Liberty Basic forums etc.
I recorded code/info where that info came from and who wrote any code I may use etc.


1. This app is meant for the new users, but can be a helpful resource for any JB coder.
2. It has a code generator. Initially named Fastcode, written by cundo - a member here.
3. It has a search engine to search the JB help files, and the JB Tutorial for key words
also Initially named JBSearch, also written by cundo
4. It also uses Carl Gundels(Creator of Just Basic) Dictionary code for saving many categories of code, and notes, help etc

All of these bits of code have been editted, and code added/removed with extra features, and for integration
purposes.A few other bits of code written by myself are included as well. I claim no credit
other than the integration, and some of the new features, plus the programs written by myself such as BAS2EXE,bas Line Count, BAS2TKN (and any I forgot to mention.

4. There are quick references for all the JB dialogs, Color, File, Printer, confirm, Prompt, and Notice.
Also for ASCII codes, JBFunctions, JB examples(bas files)

5. There are buttons to create things like Pictures(MSPaint),Sprites(Rod's Spritecreator),
JB Programs(Just basic Editor), and FreeForms(FreeForm)
useful Tools Like: Taskmanager, Calculator, BAS2EXE(convert a bas file to an exe(executable file
used in Windows environment)), BAS2TKN (convert a bas file to TKN for use in JB externals),
a bas file line count(to count how many lines a selected bas file has), and NotePad.
Most of these are built into Windows, but helpful when coding in Just Basic.

6.There are drop down menu's for the built in JB functions list, the JB samples list, and the JB dialogs
For quick access. They open the corresponding file in Notepad when clicked. Also a drop down for reserved words.
If I remember, I will add any help file mistakes I have come across (one more thing to do)

7. There are buttons to open explorer to particular folders such as JB sample bas files dir, JB functions dir, savedProjects dir,
the JB bmp dir, JB appdata root dir(samples), the created TKN dir, and the created EXE dir
Also a link to SpriteCreator dir(if it exists)
That is basically the top part of the GUI seen in the picture.

7. The bottom part is a tool with radio buttons to create, edit, run, delete, or just plain view code
comprising of a bunch of categories such as MyProjects, Programs, Examples, Snippets, Functions,
Subroutines, and Notes depending on the radio button selected.

Also included are radio buttons along the bottom for scripting categories, VB(Visual Basic)
, CMD(Batch Scripts), JS(Java Scripts), PS1(PowerShellScripts)

The MYProjects Category is special.
The MyProjects category will be protected from editing, as the Listings in this
category will be entered automatically when an EXE, or a TKN is created using BAS<2>EXE,
or BAS<2>TKN, or if a [MakeProject] button is pressed.
Basically if a bas file gets selected for one of these purposes, a Project is created automatically,
and added to the MyProjects listing.(not implimented yet)
ONLY code that passes through the JB pre compile debugger without issue qualify for this category.
Any others are discarded, and if it was while creating an EXE, the EXE won't be created, same for a TKN.
Projects will only be created if the TKN process and the jb pre-compile debgger have no issues.


All the other categories will allow what they can, depending on what they are designed for.
When a category is selected(it's radioButton) some buttons will grey out(disable) if that category
isn't designed for that use.

This is still a work in progress, and there is space at bottom right corner for additional
features, plus the top menu can be added to as well.
Open for suggestions too.

In my opinion the BEST thing about this app is that it creates files for each category,
and those files can be swapped by members to help EACH OTHER with samples hints,
programs, functions, subroutines, help ete etc.
All one needs to do is close the app, and append their file with the text in a downloaded
file and the new stuff should appear in their own Listings

Over the last few days I have thought through a few more things, and will be implementing those ideas.

As stated this is at present incomplete code. What I do have is working well, I could post it now,
but don't intend to post it until it is complete, and well tested.
I work on one or 2 features/incompletes a day. Then think up some more lol
While there is still room for more on that GUI, I will keep thinking about adding more.

Hope this clears up what anyone could possibly want to know about this app.
In 3 short sentences.
1. It helps new coders to JB learn faster
2. It can save anything from a thought to a help file.
3. It can be updated by copy pasting others(downloaded files) content to the appropriate file.
See, there is another feature to make now. A button to extract info from the downloaded files
of others, and append the appropriate file on the users PC.
I'll never be finished.

So I hope I can get some testers to help me out. Not new users, you "OLD DOGS"

Come on people.
This is for the community and will help Carl Gundel attract more users to both JB and Liberty.
BTW - I could easily adapt this for Liberty Basic and the Liberty Basic help files etc..
I've read this bas file line by line so many times I could write it out from memory now lol

[Rod]

You might loose all the dire warnings about copying the code by checking the code and refusing to copy it. Look for a REM statement at the head of the program, recognise it won’t work and fail safe.

[xxgeek]

Oct 23, 2021 17:18:10 GMT Rod said:

You might loose all the dire warnings about copying the code by checking the code and refusing to copy it. Look for a REM statement at the head of the program, recognise it won’t work and fail safe.

This problem has been haunting me for quite a while.
So last night I did some extensive testing of some ideas and there is no longer a problem copying the code into any of the texteditors to be saved.
No more file corruption due to reading it's own delimiter in a file.

Here's what I found....

The code itself was using a delimiter in text eg: "~" with the ~ being the delimiter.
Written as above when reading the texeditor text JB sees ~ and thinks it should start reading a "New" line and cuts the line off at that point.

But when using ASCII code like eg: chr$(126)for the delimiter instead of ~ , when reading the texeditor text JB will be looking for chr$(126) to know when to cut off the line and not ~ even though it will print ~ into the file.

I can't really explain why this works because there are multiple chr$(126) in the text from the texeditor when copying this file to it, it does not corrupt the file being written or the listbox text.

So the problem evaporates.

[jarych]

xxgeek,
I looked at the two attached pictures and each is a big mess.

If you are just learning Just BASIC, are you sure you want to create a large, giant program? Have you developed a few small, simpler program projects first?

[Rod]

xxgeek is clearly not new to coding, just Just BASIC. I have embarked on the very same project myself. I had side windows that noted the command in the edited line of code and threw up the relevant help info and example code. The problem as we are seeing is how to keep it simple and clean.

My project used a home grown IDE which proved hugely more complex than I thought, so it never got finished.

Context sensitive help would be a great addition to our tool set. Even the fast start code is worthy of more work. A visual aid like freeform could also be enhanced to insert more code than it does now.

Any work on tools is worthwhile.

[xxgeek]

large programs are really a bunch of "small programs" melded together, and each command is a "small" program in itself.
Throughout the year working in JB I have created more programs than I care to list.

I've added a few more "small" programs to enhance functionality.

Here are 2 pictures off my desktop Before, and After I start working on the next "small" program to add to this page, and a MUCH bigger program.

Click to see the larger view in your browser.





Thanks goes out to all the beta testers who replied "yes"