BASIC programming package -- free downloads for Windows 11?

[gmax137]

TL;DR Summary

Is there a version of BASIC that will run on my PC - Windows 11 Home

I used to enjoy writing little programs in BASIC when it was included in Windows. I guess it hasn't been included for a long long time. Is there a BASIC package available for download that would run on my Windows 11 PC?

 

[phinds]

You can get Visual Studio for free and it includes Visual Basic, but that's a whole IDE, not just simple BASIC.

 

[Baluncore]

FreeBASIC; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FreeBASIC
Download; https://www.freebasic.net/

 

[gmax137]

Thanks @phinds and @Baluncore !

 

[Vanadium 50]

FreeBasic, which I haven't used in a long time is an option.

Kemeney and Kurtz , the writers of BASIC, have a product called TrueBASIC that costs $5, I think you get a disk and a manual for that. I don't know who runs that now, if K&K are still alive they must be nearing 100.

FreeDOS has a BASIC. You may not want to boot DOS, but you can always boot it in a VM.

 

[Wrichik Basu]

I used QBASIC back in school for three years when I learnt programming for the first time. It's still available for download here: https://www.qbasic.net/ You need DOSBox to run it on Windows. The interpreters are for Win 10 though, but you can give it a try to see if it runs on Win 11.

 

[symbolipoint]

TL;DR Summary: Is there a version of BASIC that will run on my PC - Windows 11 Home

I used to enjoy writing little programs in BASIC when it was included in Windows. I guess it hasn't been included for a long long time. Is there a BASIC package available for download that would run on my Windows 11 PC?

YES! Liberty BASIC and if you wish, Just BASIC (both are products of Shoptalk Systems).

 

[Vanadium 50]

It seems odd that QBasic can be downloadable from a non-Microsoft site.

 

[pbuk]

TL;DR Summary: Is there a version of BASIC that will run on my PC - Windows 11 Home

I used to enjoy writing little programs in BASIC when it was included in Windows. I guess it hasn't been included for a long long time. Is there a BASIC package available for download that would run on my Windows 11 PC?

The closest equivalent now is probably writing Python code in a Jupyter Notebook, most easily installed on Windows with Anaconda.

It's not BASIC, but it is supported.

 

[symbolipoint]

It seems odd that QBasic can be downloadable from a non-Microsoft site.

Does QB64 qualify as a possible choice for answer to this topic question?

 

[Baluncore]

FreeBASIC began life as an open source QB clone. It would compile to DOS or Windows. But then it became compatible with MS Visual Basic, and grew a "-lang QB" compiler switch, so it could compile GW-BASIC or QuickBASIC legacy code.

 

[Vanadium 50]

While I agree that one can write spaghetti code in Python just like BASIC, that really isn't the question asked. Obviously if there is to be a language change the obvious choice is REXX.

 

[dlgoff]

I don't know if this is worth while, but I use to use Borland Turbo Basic.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I have good news, and I have bad news.

The good news is that Microsoft has released the source to GW Basic (equivalent to BASICA) on GitHub.

The bad news is that they did not release any build scripts. You're on your own. It does not look pretty - just figuring out what order things need to happen in might be a project in and of itself.

 

[phinds]

I don't know if this is worth while, but I use to use Borland Turbo Basic.

I did too, decades ago (It was released in the late 1980's). It's LONG been out of support and Borland doesn't even exist any more.

 

[Baluncore]

I don't know if this is worth while, but I use to use Borland Turbo Basic.

After GW-BASIC I used QB for a while, then Turbo Basic IDE on DOS from about 1989.
TB gave me some exception problems with the 386. Then TB had problems running under windows.
I switched to free and open source FreeBASIC to run legacy code, and have stayed with FB for the last 15 years.

 

[dlgoff]

TB gave me some exception problems with the 386.

IIRC, I used it on a 286 machine.

 

[Baluncore]

IIRC, I used it on a 286 machine.

Likewise, TB was great on a 286, but for signal processing, I was given a 386 which outran the numerical exception handling in TB, so it would hang without any explanation.

 

[dlgoff]

Likewise, TB was great on a 286, but for signal processing, I was given a 386 which outran the numerical exception handling in TB, so it would hang without any explanation.

I've still got the Turbo Basic manual:

 

[pbuk]

I don't know if this is worth while, but I use to use Borland Turbo Basic.

You could try running it in a DOS Box.

 

[dlgoff]

You could try running it in a DOS Box.

I really don't need it any more. Somewhere I have an old 286 PC should I want to use it again.

 

[dlgoff]

After GW-BASIC I used QB

I've still have my Qbasic book:

 

[Vanadium 50]

I did not test this. but...

FreeDOS comes with a BASIC interpreter. One should be able to run it in a command window, i.e. outside of FreeDOS. The source code is available for a wide variety of machines, so there isn't any obviosu reason it would not work.

 

[scottdave]

The closest equivalent now is probably writing Python code in a Jupyter Notebook, most easily installed on Windows with Anaconda.

It's not BASIC, but it is supported.

I agree - Python is a language worth learning. There is Google Colab if you want to try using Jupyter notebook without installing anything. https://colab.research.google.com/

 

[Vanadium 50]

Python

Like BASIC, highly conducive to writing unmaintainale code.

 

[Baluncore]

Like BASIC, highly conducive to writing unmaintainale code.

I like structured BASIC too, but why would you want to write unmaintainable code?
I do like the explicit End statements of structured BASIC.

As a joke language, in the style of Monty Python, Python is excellent. It is really hilarious, how the significant white space of Python, catches me out every time.

With my eyesight, the semicolons of C seem to fade in and out, like mosquitos in front of the screen.

 

[Vanadium 50]

why would you want to write unmaintainable code?

I don''t, but otherse apparently do. And they write a lot of it for sure.