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BASIC Doesn't Have to Be That Basic

Posted on 24 January 1999

The following text was written by Patrick Wilson:

Hello everyone. I've been thinking a lot after submitting my article, The TI Programming Alliance, and I realized a few important things. People complain that good assembly programs are few and far between. This is unfortunately true, however don't leave BASIC out. Unless it's for the TI-83 or less. Let's face it, BASIC pretty much just sucks. With the exception of rapid development and almost no risk of crashing, it's slow, cumbersome, inefficient, and resource lacking. Assembly makes up for this, fixing all of these (most of the time). Now, I may have strayed a bit, but... I bring these facts up for a reason and I'll get to the point in just a bit. There is this group of highly talented BASIC programmers that go under the name of "BKSoft". They make VERY good games for the TI-86. All in BASIC though. Second, an assembly program under the name of ASAP X Command extends BASIC in a unique way. It adds simple, fast, and very effective extensions to BASIC such as the ability to display inverted text, draw sprites, test the existence of variables and much more. Now, I will explain why I've said so many different things. What if BASIC was extended by so much, that you couldn't tell where the BASIC ended and the ASM begins? That's right folks! Add assembly power functions to the built-in BASIC. Just think, it wouldn't be that awfully hard.

  1. Find out what BASIC programmers want.

    Personally, I want the ability to draw sprites, find out whether or not the Axes or Coordinates or the Grid's are on, and have fast encryption and decryption. Just think, a math program that didn't mess up your graph screen, a BASIC RPG with fast moving sprites (Yes, BASSPro for the 86 does do this), and a way to encrypt saved games with a password so no one can screw up your saved game when you almost beat it!

  2. Create an API.

    OK, big idea coming! OK, you got one program that runs tiny little applets in the form of a prgm file. The applets would add all the functionality, while the big one would be run through the BASIC program wishing to use the applets. The program would search for all applets with a certain header and load them. Finally, the program could use the commands that were added by the applets. Phew!!!

  3. Keep some control.

    We want functionality, not oversized crap. If this idea is put to use, please use good judgment.

  Reply to this item

Re: BASIC Doesn't Have to Be That Basic
Mike Weber  Account Info

hey i wuz wondering if itz possible 2 have BASIC mke a prgm instead of doing it urself? bcuz i wan2 make sort uv a setup prgm if itz possible tell me how weberdns@bellsouth.net

thx

Reply to this comment    19 May 2005, 13:47 GMT


Re: Re: BASIC Doesn't Have to Be That Basic
medrano1989  Account Info
(Web Page)

No it's not possible to have a Basic prgm make another prgm. What most people do as for a setup prgm is use it to create lists that are used in the Game you have created. For example if you created a game with a password and wanted to store the Password into List "ABCD" You would use your setup prgm to Create List "ABCD" so when the prgm is run. You won't have to waste time with A -> Dim( everytime the prgm is run. I Hoped this helped somewhat. If it didn't e-mail me at medrano1989@hotmail.com.

Reply to this comment    24 October 2005, 10:50 GMT

Re: Article: "BASIC Doesn''t Have to be That Basic"
isaac cambron

I agree with Patrick Wilson that ASM programs used to enhance BASIC would be great. I think these options would be even more helpful in math programming. Things like string contents-variable name converters, tests to see if a variable exists, that sort of thing. I do think that ASM is better for games, but it certainly isn't for math.

Reply to this comment    6 July 1999, 19:36 GMT


Re: Re: Article: "BASIC Doesn''t Have to be That Basic"
Sargon of AKKAD  Account Info

Yes and No.
Enhance Basic? Great Idea. The problem I would envision with ASM extentions is they'd sit in my archive memory, or worse, in the RAM. Lots of little programs cluttering up the place each with the power to crash my calc and delete the rest?

Here's my modification on the idea.

Just extend the code base. Add common BASIC commands we need-- STRING HANDLING PLEASE???

The code would be part of the operating system which would make them as stable as everything else. Should we get together and for a list of wanted commands to send to TI to add to the next version of their OS? The commands could logicly do anything we wanted, granted they fit the nessicary size and speed limitations.

Reply to this comment    26 September 2001, 02:57 GMT

Re: Re: Re: Article: "BASIC Doesn''t Have to be That Basic"
dude9687  Account Info

They released the 83+ SE with 1.5 MB of ROM. What good is the ROM if you can only fill up 800 KB of it? I tested it, and it won't let you fill it up past that. Anyway, I'd love to have ANYTHING that uses up some of that dang useless ROM, especially an APP. Too bad TI's so-called SDK is so screwed up. Nobody but TI themselves and Detached Solutions know how to make an App. However, some people are finally starting to make more apps! I do ASM myself, as well as knowing BASIC 100% :-). I once made a program that found numbers that are both perfect squares and perfect cubes, which it "completed" in less than an hour. If a person had to do that on a regular calculator, it'd take them over a year. However, for a 12 MHz CPU, that takes an ~-~INCREDIBLY~-~ long time. For god's sake, it should only take about 5 minutes if it's going at 12 -MILLION- instructions per second! Somebody needs to come up with a solution... and I'm not good enough at ASM yet to do it :-\

Reply to this comment    6 March 2002, 03:59 GMT

Re: Re: Re: Re: Article: "BASIC Doesn''t Have to be That Basic"
yahoolian

you have to keep in mind that the 12 million clocks per second is with 1 clock cycle for fetch from memory, 1 for decoding the instruction, and around 2-9 clocks to execute the instruction.

Reply to this comment    5 April 2003, 04:02 GMT

Re: Re: Re: Re: Article: "BASIC Doesn''t Have to be That Basic"
MoMoRyan Account Info
(Web Page)

Hey Dude9687, You say you know BASIC 100%. if you really do could you please help me???

Anyone for that matter, if you know how to program a boss key or a teacher key (also known as, "Crap! here comes the teacher, go away stupid game." button) LOL, Could you E-mail me???

E-mail--Bluethunder30201@aol.com

Reply to this comment    5 February 2004, 01:52 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Article: BASIC Doesn''t Have to be That Basic
D-Tech  Account Info

I'd be willing to make that program in ASM except I'm just a fledgling ASM programmer so don't expect any fancy graphics (although I'll make the program work).
Email me if you're interested.

Reply to this comment    14 August 2004, 18:26 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Article: "BASIC Doesn''t Have to be That Basic"
DavidDuck11  Account Info

You should try using "sub(" and "length(" for string manipulation. I read an article on the web for scrolling(you know, like Super Mario Bros. on Super Nes.) using those commands. The only thing is... I can only access them through the catalog.

If anybody knows where they are, please e-mail me at final11@mail.com.










Reply to this comment    31 July 2002, 05:07 GMT

Re: Re: Re: Re: Article: "BASIC Doesn''t Have to be That Basic"
Bill Conant  Account Info
(Web Page)

The only problem with these commands is the string length has to be a constant if you don't want some wierd equation.
On an interesting tangent, though, my website details a text inversion equation for any strings/variables/lists containing only numbers.
http://www.crakkerz.com/calcfiles.htm/

Reply to this comment    4 August 2003, 04:13 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Article: "BASIC Doesn''t Have to be That Basic"
Bill Conant  Account Info
(Web Page)

Scratch that. Lost the equation, then my site got moved away, then moved back. Oh well. By the way, if anyone desires to make a skin for my OS/X shell, feel free to send it to me, and I'll post it on my site with full credits to the author.

Reply to this comment    11 December 2003, 02:28 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Article: "BASIC Doesn''t Have to be That Basic"
atevin Account Info

yea, you can only get them through the catalog which sucks since I use them ALL the time... programs with a lot of text like names of elements in a periodic table, etc

Reply to this comment    16 November 2003, 19:57 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Article: BASIC Doesn''t Have to be That Basic
Will Brown  Account Info

If you get omnicalc, you can do the double-vars menu thing and have shortcuts to ur favorite commands.

Reply to this comment    20 January 2005, 16:53 GMT

Re: Article: "BASIC Doesn''t Have to be That Basic"
mothafucka

suck it:basic sucks and you cant do nothin about it : how can I make basic to 1i-85 assembler?

Reply to this comment    16 July 1999, 23:55 GMT

Re: BASIC Doesn't Have to Be That Basic
mohaas05  Account Info

Personally, I prefer BASIC. I've read every assembly guide known to man and the farthest that i've ever gotten is making the program end itself. I like BASIC because its...

-Basic (:-/)
-Easy to learn and understand
-You can program on the go
-It won't screw your calc.

I think assembly is cool for games and shells but I don't think all those asm programmers out there have to be so smug about it.

Reply to this comment    9 April 2006, 23:07 GMT


Re: Re: BASIC Doesn't Have to Be That Basic
graphmastur Account Info

Hey, I know how you feel.
If they put better reedme files instead of saying:
"compile this and download it to your calc"
it would be easy
break it down step by step for us BASIC programers

Reply to this comment    5 June 2007, 14:51 GMT

The Summary
Stan da MAN

I know I must be a loser for reading a something this old, and actually replying to it, however I have a lot to say. Just stop complaining and do the thing. I do agree that ASM is a great gaming language, however it just isn't practical in SO many ways.

1. You have to have tons of time to learn the low-level language

2. Once you've learned it, it takes forever to just write a program (Since you are writing on a bit level, rather than byte level)

3. Debugging an ASM program is a nightmare (Since again you are programming on a bit level)

4. If your program manipulates the calc's hardware and there is a bug, it could crash your calc

5. Depending on your calc, you probably can't program ASM right on the calc

Those problems are devastating, and just a bit too major for me. I have learned both BASIC and ASM and can't stand programming ASM, it is horrid in the ways I earlier described. Now BASIC will not go as quickly as ASM, of course since once again ASM is bit by bit, and BASIC is byte by byte. BASIC does however prevail in a few cases, such as math programs, but look at these two codes and tell me which one is more logical. (This is on a TI-86 calc BTW. If you are confused this is how you can do ASM on the calc. That's why it isn't the usual code)

ASM Code:
:AsmPrgm
:CD824A
:210300
:220FB0
:215BD7
:CD374A
:CD5F4A
:C9
:48656C6C6F20576F726C6400

Put that on your calc, then put this on your calc

:ClLCD
:Disp "","Hello World"

Run them both (using the ASM( command with the first one), they do the same thing, however BASIC required less code. Hmmm. . . seems as though BASIC, can be more basic(parden the pun). Just scroll up if you want to read about the limitations of BASIC, I wanted to cover some of the unmentioned problems of ASM. Some people have mentioned about converting BASIC to ASM, and someone replied that of course, now I save space, and increased speed but it is still the same program, just smaller and quicker. Combining both would be excellent, you get the best of both worlds. You'd get ASM's speed, space saving, and manipulation of hardware, along with BASIC's simplicity, easier debugging, and time saved programming. It helps both, BASIC and ASM programmers. There is NO ASM programmer that didn't start with BASIC on his, or her TI-calc. And you'd have to be stupid not to accept the advantages of both. Instead of putting yourself on a platform ASM programmers, this can help us too. So please, I'm not good enough at ASM to do this myself, so please, do this for the BASIC programmer still inside you ASM programmers, you know ASM is hard as you know what to do, and learn, save yourself time, and stop wasting it programming bit by bit, and not wasting space programming byte by byte, and come to a census. A middle point, that's all.

Reply to this comment    5 August 1999, 00:40 GMT

Re: The Summary
joseph b  Account Info

that ASM code erased my ram

Reply to this comment    5 January 2001, 23:53 GMT


Re: Re: The Summary
Adam Wilson  Account Info

Those sound like great ideas. What would be great is if someone could program an interface that you program in basic, but then it saves the program as ASM. Therefore, you get the simplicity of basic with the speed and size of ASM.

Reply to this comment    25 April 2001, 10:53 GMT


Re: Re: Re: The Summary
hamster3.0  Account Info

ASM code erasing his RAM sounds like a good idea???
WHAT PAGE ARE YOU ON?!?!?! LOL!

Reply to this comment    12 April 2005, 23:37 GMT


Re: The Summary
anykey Account Info
(Web Page)

If Ti made Basic so you can store a series of commands as one command so it can be used over and over I would be VERY happy. It just gets boring typing in the same stuff a lot. And besides, why learn a low level language like asm when there *cough could be improved?

Reply to this comment    16 April 2004, 02:29 GMT

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