Cross-platform basic... As you probably know, with my Tommelise reprap system I use Visual Basic .NET for the PC-side software and Oshonsoft Basic for the machine-side firmware. I do that because the learning curve to get into BASIC is not nearly so steep as that for Java and now Python (mind, Python is a LOT easier to get into than Java). The problem with the way I've been doing things is that I don't have a clear cross-platform capability on the PC side. A few days ago I ran across a cross-platform BASIC compiler called REALBasic. [www.realsoftware.com] It does Linux, Windows and OS X. Single platform personal editions (no database connectivity or web sockets, which is no big deal. for this sort of work, anyway) costs $100 (academic license is $70). When you write code for one platform you can recompile it for another platform without changes. A multiplatform compiler runs $500 (I frankly can't see the point of buying one of those, since you can only put it on a single machine, which rather defeats the whole purpose if you want to qualify your code on several different os's. Better to buy personal editions for the different os's that being considerably cheaper). Anyhow, in the next months I will be looking about getting out from under Microsoft visual studio in that manner. Windows SP3 has really pissed me off. It's made my printer print from right to left and when I confronted Microsoft about that, they refused to take responsibility. I've decided that Balmer has lost his everloving mind and I don't work with crazy people.) https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,16949#msg-16949 Wed, 11 Mar 2026 17:56:38 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,17041#msg-17041 Re: Cross-platform basic... https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,17041#msg-17041 -------------------------------------------------------
>
> the only problem
> that I have is the upgrades you have to pay for
> every 6 months to stay up to date.
>
Ah! That's a VERY valuable heads-up! Thanks, Bob!(tu)]]> Forrest Higgs RepRap Host Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:46:57 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,17039#msg-17039 Re: Cross-platform basic... https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,17039#msg-17039
Bob]]> bobt RepRap Host Sun, 21 Sep 2008 09:50:39 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,17011#msg-17011 Re: Cross-platform basic... https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,17011#msg-17011 Forrest Higgs RepRap Host Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:20:27 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,17010#msg-17010 Re: Cross-platform basic... https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,17010#msg-17010
Quote

It supports VB.NET just fine.

I am pleasantly surprised ;)]]> Ru RepRap Host Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:56:44 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,17007#msg-17007 Re: Cross-platform basic... https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,17007#msg-17007 -------------------------------------------------------
> If you felt really brave, you could always look at
> Mono, which might possibly support visual
> basic.net.
>
It supports VB.NET just fine.]]> Forrest Higgs RepRap Host Fri, 19 Sep 2008 07:50:45 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,17004#msg-17004 Re: Cross-platform basic... https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,17004#msg-17004
For my employers, visual studio is the killer app of windows... no-one else seems to make a decent IDE. Eclipse has proven to be adequate for java, but somewhat lacking for everything else. It is a shame that the commercial IDE market has given up... no-one seems to want to compete against VS or eclipse, and I've never been really happy with any large and complex open-source app. Ho hum.]]> Ru RepRap Host Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:05:06 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,17002#msg-17002 Re: Cross-platform basic... https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,17002#msg-17002 [sourceforge.net]

No sign of Micro$soft there...]]> Ross RepRap Host Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:06:45 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,17001#msg-17001 Re: Cross-platform basic... https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,17001#msg-17001 [sourceforge.net]

No sign of Micro$oft there...]]> Ross RepRap Host Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:03:22 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,16949#msg-16949 Cross-platform basic... https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?12,16949,16949#msg-16949
The problem with the way I've been doing things is that I don't have a clear cross-platform capability on the PC side. A few days ago I ran across a cross-platform BASIC compiler called REALBasic.

[www.realsoftware.com]

It does Linux, Windows and OS X. Single platform personal editions (no database connectivity or web sockets, which is no big deal. for this sort of work, anyway) costs $100 (academic license is $70). When you write code for one platform you can recompile it for another platform without changes. A multiplatform compiler runs $500 (I frankly can't see the point of buying one of those, since you can only put it on a single machine, which rather defeats the whole purpose if you want to qualify your code on several different os's. Better to buy personal editions for the different os's that being considerably cheaper).

Anyhow, in the next months I will be looking about getting out from under Microsoft visual studio in that manner. Windows SP3 has really pissed me off. It's made my printer print from right to left and when I confronted Microsoft about that, they refused to take responsibility. I've decided that Balmer has lost his everloving mind and I don't work with crazy people.)]]> Forrest Higgs RepRap Host Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:51:21 -0400