BBC BASIC for Windows
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Volunteers wanted (again)
Post by rtr2 on Jul 3rd, 2015, 3:39pm

More in hope than in expectation, here is a roundup of the projects which are stalled (or abandoned, depending on your degree of pessimism!) owing to a shortage of willing volunteers to take them on:
Richard.
Re: Volunteers wanted (again)
Post by dfeugey on Jul 3rd, 2015, 5:08pm

I could be on interface generation + IDE things, but it will take time, as I'm pretty new here. Nota: new on this offer, but not at all in programming.
Re: Volunteers wanted (again)
Post by RNBW on Jul 9th, 2015, 8:05pm

Just Basic has an open source Freeform-J which can be found at http://justbasic.wikispaces.com/Freeform+Updates

It's a lot of code. It's not quite as smooth to use as Freeform for Liberty Basic, but it still does quite a good job. If someone has the time, it could be used as a the basis of a GUI Maker.
Re: Volunteers wanted (again)
Post by rtr2 on Jul 9th, 2015, 9:55pm

on Jul 9th, 2015, 8:05pm, RNBW wrote:
Just Basic has an open source Freeform-J

Where can I find an explicit statement that this is Open Source? The file states:

Code:
    'Copyright 2004 Shoptalk Systems
    'All Rights Reserved

Quote:
If someone has the time, it could be used as a the basis of a GUI Maker.

For anybody who may wish to try out Freeform-J in its original form (translated to BBC BASIC) I've put a zipped EXE here:

http://www.rtr.myzen.co.uk/fformj260311.zip

It's not necessarily a good way to proceed, but you could rewrite just the code-generation section to produce BBC BASIC code, with everything else left unchanged. That would be a minimal-effort route to a BB4W GUI/forms designer.

Richard.
Re: Volunteers wanted (again)
Post by RNBW on Jul 9th, 2015, 10:27pm

Richard

Yes that is a bit confusing. The Just Basic Wiki states that it is open source

Quote:

Updates of Freeform-J
« Thread started on: Aug 30th, 2010, 11:01am »
Updates of Freeform-J can be found at the Just BASIC Wiki.

Freeform-J is open source, so you are welcome to add any enhancements you see fit.

Feel free to post your customized version at the Just BASIC Wiki.

Please make sure to add your additions to the latest updated version available and not to the version shipping with JB.
This allows downloading the latest and greatest version in one file instead of having to merge them manually.


I was not, however, suggesting that the code be copied. The code gives a framework that could be used as a basis for a GUI designer for BB4W. There is a lot of code (over 2000 lines) but analyzing it would show how it works and BBC Basic code can be produced to provide something similar. It will be quite an undertaking, but not beyond someone with the time and expertise. It should also be remembered that Just Basic is a beginners language, so it shouldn't have the complexities of Liberty Basic.

I appreciate your concerns about copyright, but it was not my intention that any copyright be breached, only that the code be considered to obtain ideas.

Re: Volunteers wanted (again)
Post by rtr2 on Jul 9th, 2015, 11:07pm

on Jul 9th, 2015, 10:27pm, RNBW wrote:
I was not, however, suggesting that the code be copied.

I appreciate that you were not necessarily suggesting that, but if it is genuinely Open Source why not? As I said, it would be a way of achieving a working BB4W GUI designer for little effort, and having something that actually works is preferable to any amount of good intentions!

Richard.