QBASIC and me

Welcome to the QBASIC section of my site. I suspect this is a fleeting visit as I'm not expecting major popularity for this page. There are two reasons for this:

  1. The interest for this section is limited by the fact it's about a programming language
  2. QBASIC is, as the name says, 'Quick' and 'BASIC' and therefore I gather it's not very much respected in the computing world.
  • However, I like the language, because it is easy to learn and use, and because I believe its potential is underestimated. I first discovered B.A.S.I.C (Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code)when I was about 12 years old and I have grown in fondness of it. I haven't kept the hundreds of programs I wrote over the years, but only a few of them would have been worth seeing.

    Download

    Programs can be written in the language using any text editor if you save them as *.BAS, but they can only be tested and run using the executable file, QBASIC.EXE. I can't remember where I obtained it from, possibly it came with MS-DOS 6.22 which was copied for me years ago by the PC Whiz, known to many as Neil Paton.

  • Download qbasic.zip(287kB) - Contains 4 files needed to create and run QBASIC programs.
  • Download qb-p1.zip(25kB) - Contains 3 programs that originated with the other files, not written by me.
    Those 3 programs are:
  • gorilla.bas (a cool game which involves players throwing of bananas at each other across a skyline)
  • nibbles.bas (just like the Nokia phone's game 'Snake' but 2 can play)
  • money.bas (Accounting program, I never really used it)

  • TENGWAR.BAS(7kB) - A program which can turn keyboard input into graphical output in the form of elvish letters (the tengwar are a writing system devised by the author JRR Tolkien). The graphics are nothing spectacular, but the program allows construction of words using elvish letters by typing the english equivalent letters. The program is not yet complete but it has been uploaded in its unfinished form. If you are interested by the idea of elvish letters, you may want to see the Eldarin section where some examples can be found (N.B. those were not made using this program)


  • SLEUTH.BAS(soon to be uploaded) - A program designed to supplement the game SLEUTH.EXE, which is a small and old yet excellent murder mystery game, in some ways very similar to Cluedo. In Sleuth the game you must deduce a murderer amoung 6 guests, from the information they give when you question them. My program assists by recording the information as you enter it and will eliminate those who have proven alibis. The program will be finished soon and if you want to see the program, and the game that is supplements, I can upload them both.

  • SCREEN1.BAS(2kB) and SCREEN2.BAS(2kB) - These two programs do some colourful and baffling things with the screen, I don't think anyone could watch the program run and deduce how it was written. They are flukes but they come out with interesting patterns.

  • GAME.BAS(2kB) This is my imitation of that earliest of video games whose name I forget. If you can tell me what it's called then I'll rename it. It's not perfect but it's quite good considering it only took about half an hour to write.
  • POLYHEDR.BAS(soon to be uploaded) - This program shows a wobbly 3-D shape and you can add and remove points with the press of a key.
  • CARDS.BAS - This is a kind of prototype for card games. It deals randomly a hand of 13 cards and you can lay the cards, and redeal.
  • RUMMY.BAS - This is a development on the prototype, I've turned it into a game of rummy. You still have to think for yourself but it is possible to play the game if you can work out what you're doing. If you want to talk to me about any of the programs please please do.
  • CHESS.BAS (Developing) - This is a work in progress at the moment. You might think it's a chess program, which technically it is. But so far I've not taught the computer actually how to play chess, but how to represent the chessboard and the ability to move pieces on instruction. So, it is working, the only thing missing is the rules of the game. Though I haven't started that bit yet, I can see how writing chess programs was such a challenge.

    • -- Under Development --
    Page updated 3rd January 2003