Microsoft KB Archive/34286

= README File for QuickBasic Compiler 1.00 for Apple Macintosh =

Article ID: 34286

Article Last Modified on 1/8/2003

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 * Microsoft QuickBasic Compiler for Macintosh 1.0

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This article was previously published under Q34286



SUMMARY
The following article contains the complete contents of the README file distributed with Microsoft QuickBasic version 1.00 for the Apple Macintosh.



MORE INFORMATION
  README File

Release Notes for Microsoft QuickBasic for Apple Macintosh Systems Version 1.0

Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 1988

This document contains information about version 1.0 of Microsoft QuickBasic for the Macintosh and its associated libraries.

The information in this document is more up to date than that in the manuals.

Microsoft updates its languages documentation at the time of reprinting, so some of the information in this on-line file may already be included in your manuals.

You may want to print this file to supplement your manual.

Requesting Assistance from Microsoft

If you need to contact Microsoft Technical Support for assistance, the phone number is (425) 646-5101. [phone changed from original README]

Contents

This file has four parts.

Part       Note

1         Notes for the Microsoft QuickBasic Language Reference 2         Notes for the Microsoft QuickBasic User's Guide 3         Printing Graphics 4         Warnings and Notes

Part 1: Notes for the Microsoft QuickBasic Language Reference

Page  Note

184   LIST Command (Undocumented Command Feature)

You can move to a specific numbered or labeled line by typing &quot;LIST &quot; in the command window. The compiler does not allow this command in a program.

323   System Function (New SYSTEM(7) Function)

SYSTEM(7) returns the file reference number of the resource fork of the program source file when the program is      interpreted. It returns the file reference number of the application resource fork in a compiled application. SYSTEM(7) can be combined with the GetPathName subprogram to find your program's full path name. See the &quot;GetPathNames&quot; demo program on the Examples disk.

418   Using the Statement Mover Program

Compile Statement Mover for speed. Unlike previous versions of      Statement Mover, this one does not automatically move LIBinits. If your library requires LIBinits, you must copy it.

419   The Library Statement - Custom LIBinit and LIBterm

These routines are called only with LIBRARY and LIBRARY CLOSE. If your custom libraries need LIBinit and LIBterm, you must explicitly call them, or use LIBRARY and LIBRARY CLOSE.

421   The Library Statement - Calling Library Routines

You now need to specify a type ('&','!', '#') for a library call only after DEFSTR; DEFINT no longer requires a type. For example:

DEFINT a-z DrawText &quot;No more exclamations on library invocations!&quot;

483   Reference Guide for Toolbox Library Statements

These new library routines were added after the manual was printed.

Routine and Description

475   BackColor color color: see the description under the ToolBox ForeColor call for the values of &quot;color.&quot; This routine is faster than the ToolBox version and the &quot;color&quot; argument more flexible.

475   BlockMove sourceAddr&,destAddr&,bytes& sourceAddr&: address to begin copying from destAddr&: address to begin copying to      bytes&: number of bytes to copy BlockMove works even when the areas overlap.

477   CopyFile sourceFile$,destName$ Copies the file with name sourceFile$ to destName$. Copies both the data and resource forks of the file.

479   Eject Ejects the disk in the internal drive. This is an MBPC resource.

480   Exists fileName$,flag% fileName$: full path of file, or simple name in current folder flag%: 0 = file does not exist, 1 = file exists

480   ForeColor color See BackColor

481   GetCatInfo IOPB%(0),FileName$[,DirID&][,VolRefNum%] [,DirIndex%] GetFCBInfo IOPB%(0),FileName$[,ioRef%][,VolRefNum%] [,FCBIndex%] DIM IOPB%(128) See the &quot;GetPathName&quot; demo on the Examples Disk or Inside Macintosh Vol. 4 for more details of these calls.

481   GetChanRefNum% Chan%,RefNum% Returns the file reference number of the file with QB channel number Chan%. Chan% is the file number you opened the file under (OPEN f$ AS #1).

482   GetHandleSize h&,size& Returns the size of a resource in bytes when given the resource's handle.

519   ScrollText H&,rec%(0),a$(0),top%,rows%[,num%[,delay%[,leading%]]] Scrolltext now has an additional optional parameter that specifies the leading (space between lines) in pixels. The default is 4 pixels.

523   SubLaunch appName$ [,fileName$] [,finderMsg%] [,fileType$] appName$: full path name of application to sublaunch fileName$: full path name of file to Open or Print. finderMsg%: 0 = Open, 1 = Print, 256 = Compile (QB only) fileType$: type of file fileName$.

527   Controlling Memory (Loading Files)

Since QB initially allocates one third of the memory listed in      the SIZE resource to the data area (about 100K), and QB reads your program into the data area, programs larger than 100K produce the &quot;Out of memory&quot; error. You can change the SIZE resource either with ResEdit or with &quot;Get Info&quot; for QB under MultiFinder, Finder 6.1 or later.

527   How Much Memory Do I Need?

Most programs will never need to change memory allocations, but programs with huge data requirements may use the CLEAR statement to access more memory:

'   Leave some heap for Desk Accessories and printer drivers. '   100K is a good starting point. heap&=100*1024& max&=FRE(0)+FRE(1)-heap& CLEAR ,max&

You will seldom need CLEAR's stack argument. Since the stack uses very little memory, there is usually no need to reduce it.

In programs with CHAINed modules, you may have to change the stack size for the compiled application if you get &quot;error 7&quot; at      the CHAIN statement. Compile all the modules with the &quot;Create Program List File&quot; option on and look in the listings under STORAGE in the &quot;Symbol and Label Tables for: MAIN.&quot; Your main module needs to clear enough stack space for the largest STORAGE entry with code similar to this:

'  As above, heap& is the heap space. stack& is the stack space heap&=100*1024&   'fill in the actual heap& you want to leave stack&=10000&     'use value from 'lst' file for the largest module IF SYSTEM(4) THEN 'compiled CLEAR,FRE(0)+FRE(-1)-heap&-stack&,stack& ELSE   'interpreted CLEAR,FRE(0)+FRE(-1)-heap& END IF

544   Error Messages: CODE Resources Conflict

This new message indicates that you have used libraries from previous versions of Basic. Use the new library routines instead. For most programs, it is sufficient to comment out all the LIBRARY statements and compile with &quot;Copy MBLCs and MBPCs&quot; switch enabled. See also &quot;Old Libraries&quot; and &quot;QB And Basic 3.0 On The Same Disk&quot; in Part 4, Notes and Warnings.

Part 2: Notes for the Microsoft QuickBasic User's Guide

16, 53 New Search Menu Features

Microsoft QuickBasic has several new Search menu features to       make navigating your programs much faster.

Several of these features are token-based. A &quot;token&quot; is a       Basic keyword, variable name, subprogram name, or label. Anything highlighted when you double click is also a token. The following list adds to or clarifies information about the Search menu.

17     Find Definition

With the insertion point in a line or label reference, subprogram name, or FN function name, QB scrolls the list window to that name's definition. The insertion point does not move, so you can return to it by pressing an arrow key or       choosing Find Insertion Point from the Search menu.

For label references, QB shows the label. For a subprogram name, QB shows the SUBI statement. For an FN, QB shows the DEF FN statement.

This does not work for other tokens. The search is much faster than Find.

It is handy to keep a list of your important subprograms and labels in a comment at the start of the file so you can &quot;Jump To&quot; line 1, then &quot;Find Definition.&quot;

17     Find Selected Text

This has the same effect as typing the highlighted text in the Find dialog. After executing this command, the text appears in       the Find dialog, which allows the Find Next command to        continue searching.

18     Jump To

Enter the source line offset number (not the Basic line       number). The number displayed in a compiled application's run time error dialog is the source line offset number for that error. This command makes it easy to find the offending line.

To jump to the beginning of a file, type COMMAND-J, &quot;1,&quot; and . To jump to the end of a file, type COMMAND-J, enter any letters (just press your hand on the keyboard), and press .

18     Set Info

If you Set Info on a new token, the 'info' is saved in the resource fork of your source file. You can move 'info' entries you define to QB by typing &quot;MBUI&quot; into the &quot;other&quot; dialog in       the Statement Mover program, or by using ResEdit.

19     The Run Menu: Command-k

As a compiling convenience, Command-k compiles the file with the last name you picked for the application. This saves reaffirming the application name every time you compile. The first time you compile (no matter which menu item you use), QB       will ask for a name. Command-k is the same as choosing &quot;Compile&quot;; Option-Command-k is the same as &quot;Compile As.&quot;

98     Setting Compiler Options: Save Before Compiling

This new option in the Options dialog box automatically saves the source file before you compile, saving a step in the edit-compile process.

152    Creating Application Icons With ResEdit

Summary:

The following resources (located in a compiled QuickBasic       application) can be modified with ResEdit to give an        application and its documents their own customized icons: BNDL; FREF; ICN#; and the sample &quot;signature&quot; resource, &quot;MBCB&quot;. The information in the Finder's Get Info dialog box for the application can also be specified.

Procedure:

You can create a compiled program with its own icon, and it       can create document files with their own icons. A document file can be assigned its own icon by changing its file and creator types to correspond to resource information stored in       the compiled application. The icon for a given document file type is taken from the resource fork of the compiled application and stored in the Finder's Desktop file.

The default creator type is &quot;EDIT&quot; and the default file type is &quot;TEXT&quot; for files created with the OPEN statement. The creator and file types of a document must be changed by your QuickBasic program after the file is created.

1. Change the creator type of a document using the SetCreate MBLC library routine, as follows:

SetCreate docfile$,&quot;MYAP&quot;

2. Change the file type using the NAME statement, as follows:

NAME docfile$ AS docfile$,&quot;MYFT&quot;

Double clicking a document icon runs the associated application. By PEEKing through a handle to the application parameters, your application can determine which file was selected. See &quot;File Browser.source&quot; on the Examples disk for sample code that does this.

Here are step-by-step instructions for creating your own icons:

1. Compile a program using Microsoft QuickBasic. For this example, assume the compiled program is called &quot;MYPROGRAM apl&quot;.

2. Run ResEdit.

3. Double click on the &quot;MYPROGRAM apl&quot; application.

4. Select New from the File menu, then do the following:

a. Type a unique creator resource type, for example: &quot;MYAP&quot; b. The following window appears: &quot;MYAP's from MYPROGRAM apl&quot; c. Select New from the File menu. d. Close the new resource window. e. Choose Get Info from the File menu and change the number which appears in the first &quot;ID:&quot; box to 0 (zero). f. Close the window. g. Perform the following steps if you wish to put a string in             the file's Get Info box in the Finder:

i. Select the new resource, and choose Open As from the File menu. ii. Select type &quot;STR &quot; (NOT &quot;STR#&quot;). iii. Type the text which you wish to appear in a Get Info from the Finder. iv. Close windows. If you do not want text to appear in the Get Info window, then open the resource, and type three zeros.

5. Double click on BNDL, then do the following:

a. Double click on &quot;BNDL=128&quot; b. Change OwnerName to be the same as the unique, four-character, application resource type used in step 4a (&quot;MYAP&quot;). c. Close two windows.

6. Perform this step if you want custom document icons:

a. Double click on FREF. b. Double click on &quot;FREF=129&quot;. c. Change the &quot;File Type&quot; to &quot;MYFT&quot; This is the type used in the NAME statement in the &quot;MYPROGRAM apl&quot; program. d. Close two windows.

No other program will be able to open your documents. You do not need to change the file type if your application creates plain text files (type TEXT).

7. Double click on ICN#.

a. Edit the application icon and, if desired, the document icon. Then select &quot;Data to Mask&quot; from the ICN# menu. b. Close Three windows. c. Click YES to Save.

8. While the &quot;MYPROGRAM apl&quot; application is highlighted, select Get Info from the File menu.

a. Change the Creator to the unique four character application creator resource name, used in step 4a: &quot;MYAP&quot; b. Close the window. c. Click YES to Save.

9. Rebuild the Macintosh Desktop in either of the following ways:

a. While holding down the COMMAND and OPTION keys, select Quit from the File menu, and keep holding down the COMMAND and OPTION keys until a dialog box appears. Click YES to rebuild the Desktop. b. Or, select the DeskTop file in ResEdit, and choose Clear from the Edit menu. Quitting ResEdit now rebuilds the DeskTop.

Additional Document Types

To add an icon for an additional file type that your application creates, add another icon to the ICN#, another FREF, and entries for the icon and FREF in the BNDL resource.

To add the FREF, open your application with ResEdit, and open the FREFs. Select New to create a new FREF, then set the file type to your new type, and set a new localID (3 for the first additional file type). Close the FREF and select Get Info to change the resource ID to the next in line (130 for the first additional file type).

To add an icon, open the ICN# in the application. Select New or Duplicate to create a new icon. Alter as you like, close it, Get Info, change the ID (again, 130 for the first additional).

Now open the application's BNDL. Find the line of dashes under the ICN#. Click on the line and select New. Fill in the localID and Resource ID to correspond with the icon and FREF you created. Do the same with the line of dashes under FREF.

As before, you must rebuild the Desktop to see the new icons.

Part 3: Printing Graphics

Additional Information On Printing Graphics

Printing Graphics is the same as printing to the screen. Use WINDOW OUTPUT #n after opening the printer, and all graphic calls (except BACKPAT) will go to the printer. LINE (0,0)-(551,729),,b will outline the drawable area on a LaserWriter page when printed at 100%.

If you want to print the window contents, record a picture as you draw the screen, then replay the picture to the printer. Follow this general outline:

PICTURE ON :SHOWPEN 'make drawing visible '      '       draw the window contents '      (PICTURE and PUT work here, too!) '      PICTURE OFF :HIDEPEN windowPic$=PICTURE$ '      OPEN &quot;lpt1:prompt&quot; FOR OUTPUT AS #1 WINDOW OUTPUT #1 PICTURE ,windowPic$ CLOSE #1

You can also use the resulting picture to refresh the screen. Pictures are usually more compact than GET arrays and preserve color in addition to printing faster on a LaserWriter.

Screen Dumps

Use the &quot;PrintScreen&quot; subprogram in the &quot;Utilities SUBs&quot; file to send a copy of your screen to a printer. Unlike LCOPY, this works for color screens and LaserWriters. &quot;PrintScreen&quot; is in the &quot;Utility SUBs&quot; folder on the Examples disk, along with a &quot;PrintWindow&quot; utility.

Examples

&quot;Calendar&quot; on the Examples disk contains sample graphics printing.

Part 4: Warnings and Notes

Warnings

Strange Error Messages

If you get an interpreter error message that does not make sense, try compiling the program. If the error is reported by the compiler, run the program in the interpreter. The interpreter and the compiler read your program differently, so one may provide a better error message than the other. When the highlighted text and error message do not match, or when nothing is highlighted, turn on the &quot;Create Error List File&quot; option in the Options dialog box and compile the program. The ' lst' file will show more precisely where the error occurred. It can show more than one error at a time.

Compiled Application Run-Time Errors

Errors that occur at run time in a compiled application do not display a message. Only the error number is displayed. The error message may be discovered by typing &quot;ERROR <#>&quot; in the QuickBasic environment command window.

Old Libraries

If your program mysteriously crashes, old CODEs can be the cause. If you need to use older custom libraries, make sure the ID numbers for those CODE resources are greater than 100. Compile and run the &quot;Renumber CODEs&quot; utility on the Examples disk in the &quot;Tools&quot; folder.

TMON Users Beware

Single voice sound can crash if TMON is active. To avoid this, insert &quot;WAVE 0,SIN&quot; at the beginning of your program.

Notes

QB and Basic 3.0 on the Same Disk

QB will give the files it creates or saves the same creator type as QB, whatever it may be. The default is the same as Basic 3.0. If you want QB to work on the same disk with Basic 3.0, change its creator type from &quot;MSBB&quot; to &quot;msbb&quot; with ResEdit (use Get Info). To make your changes visible, delete the desktop file with ResEdit (select Clear from the Edit menu), or restart while holding down the command and option keys. QB includes an alternate BNDL resource for the &quot;msbb&quot; type. For the decimal version, change the creator type from &quot;MSBA&quot; to &quot;msba.&quot;

Basic 3.0 files (creator=MSBB) will have the Basic document icon and will start up Basic 3.0 when double clicked. QB files (creator=msbb) will have the QB icon and start up QB when double clicked. QB can open files created by QB or Basic 3.0. Basic can see QB files, but will produce a &quot;Bad file mode&quot; error if you try to open a QB compressed file.

Slow Printing

The PRINT command sends the screen or printer one character at a time. Use the DrawText library routine to send an entire string at once. This will speed text printing to the screen or graphics devices. You still need to use PRINT for number formatting or carriage returns.

New Run-Time Names

If you want to keep the run time libraries separate and change the names, you must change the application &quot;STR&quot; resources id=9300-9303 with ResEdit to the names you prefer. QB will look for them in the folder named in the STR 9300 resource.

Resources in Your Source

The DITL 128, DLOG 128, and STR 128 resources are for the About... dialog box.

MBCO 0: compiler options MBAN 0: compiled application name MBPN: File path name

MBUI: MBUI resources are created when you use Set Info for a new word.

MBLC, MBPC: If you put any of these resources in the resource fork of your source file, and the &quot;Copy MBLCs and MBPCs&quot; switch is enabled, they will be automatically copied to the application each time it compiles. A LIBRARY statement in your program is not required.

Resources in Your Application

BNDL: application and document icon support CODE: application code DITL: 128 About DLOG: 128 About FREF: application and document icon support ICN#: sample application and document icons MBAV: application version (used to verify run time) MBCB: &quot;signature&quot; resource (application and document icon support) MBCI: compiler information MBLC: library code resources MBPC: pure code resources MBPN: File path name MBRL: 0 (binary), 1 (decimal), or 2 (68881) run time support code. PREC 0: LPT1:PROMPT page sizes SIZE -1: MultiFinder information STR 128: About 93xx run time path and file names

Additional query words: MQuickB readme

Keywords: KB34286

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