June Eighteenth 2003 From: Bob Zale, President PowerBASIC, Inc. PowerBASIC Gazette #36 - Please share this with fellow programmers ================================================================== Subject: An Entertaining Interview... ====================================== It's been a while since we've talked... and this Gazette offers a little different perspective on PowerBASIC issues: Entertainment. Recently, I was involved in a great interview with some good friends. Ethan Winer, Mark Dunn, Carl Franklin. Some real pioneers in this business. Ethan founded Crescent Software, created QuickPack Pro, PDQ, and others. Carl Franklin is the Carl in the old "Carl and Gary's VB Page" -- that site was absolutely huge! Currently, Mark and Carl are involved in advanced training classes for a variety of programming topics. Some impressive stuff here. {smile} Anyway, we got together for a great discussion, and it's all on the record. Care to listen in? You'll hear about the "Good Old Days" of CP/M, the first PC's, memorable tech support calls, and the true history of programming with a single-malt scotch "chaser". {smile} Does anyone else remember multi-hour compiles and links, just because the floppies needed constant swapping? We talked about more current issues, too, so listen carefully for all the clues... We compressed the audio file substantially. Even though the interview lasts close to an hour, the download file is now only about 8.6 MEG. It's an absolutely free file, and you can download it today at: http://www.powerbasic.com/files/pub/docs/bob_and_ethan.zip Try it... I think you'll have fun with it. While you're there, please check out the new web site design! It's all new, and pretty comprehensive. You'll find the PowerBASIC home page at http://www.powerbasic.com/ and the new "About PB" page at http://www.powerbasic.com/aboutpb.asp Of course, the PB Forums are a real landmark -- over 100,000 messages from other PowerBASIC programmers -- a real treasure trove of progrmming information. Oh, yes, one last question? Have you upgraded your PowerBASIC yet? If not, the time is now! You can still upgrade from PB/DLL 6 to PowerBASIC 7 for Windows at just $99, and upgrade PB/CC 2 to PB/CC 3 at just $89! Then Drag'n'Drop dialog designs with PowerBASIC Forms for only $99! PB/CC is our Console Compiler -- with a text mode interface to 32-bit Windows. PB 7 for Windows is oriented towards a GUI (graphical user interface) for a typical Windows "look and feel". With all of the new extensions, you won't believe how easy it is to build real GUI applications! PB/Forms is our new, state-of-the-art visual designer. It works with PowerBASIC 7 to build GUIs almost as fast as you can imagine them! You'll drag'n'drop controls, quickly build complex menus, create resources automatically from your images and version info. Create and name your own favorite styles. Import GUI designs from Visual Basic, a resource editor like Visual Studio, even automate hand- written DDT code. You'll like this one a lot... It's virtually everything you could ask for in a new RAD tool. For more info, click http://www.powerbasic.com/products/pbforms/ Oh, and our new compilers offer macros, which are not often found in a high-level language. Essentially, a Macro invokes a text substitution engine which allows you to extend the PowerBASIC language in ways not seen before. We have single line macros, multi-line macros, even function macros which return a result. And best of all, they don't occupy one byte of code space unless actually used. With PowerBASIC macros, you can design your own personal language! Then there's Client COM services, and the Automation Interface. Now you can tap the power of components. Invoke libraries and full applications with ease, all controlled from your PowerBASIC client program. Invoke Microsoft Word, load and edit documents, all under control of your PowerBASIC program. Do you need ADO or DAO? It's waiting for you! The PowerBASIC IDE had a serious makeover. Selectable color syntax highlighting with options. Printed listings in color. Mouse wheel scrolling. Untold levels of undo. Better debugging, with intuitive watch/unwatch variable selections. The new Code Finder window shows Sub and Function names, aliases, type, and line number. Sort on any column, in either direction, even change the column order. This and more make the new IDE a joy to use. Debugging? We have a whole array of new tools! PROFILE creates a report of program execution. A list of every Sub and Function, the number of times called, and the total elapsed time spent executing all instances of each procedure. CALLSTK allows you to capture a representation of all the stack frames. It answers "How did I get here?". TRACE generates a log which contains an explicit report of each Sub, Function, Label, and Trace Print statement executed, along with parameter and return values, and each error code generated. It answers "Where have I been?", and "How did I get here?" Did I mention that Functions can now take 32 parameters? Or all the new language functions? How about #BLOAT, #STACK, #TOOLS, ACCEL, ACODE$(), ARRAYATTR, BIT CALC, CALLSTK$(), CHOOSE, CLSID$, CSET, ERROR$(), FILESCAN, FUNCNAME$, GUID$(), GUIDTXT$(), IIF(), INTERFACE, JOIN$(), MOUSEPTR, OBJECT, OBJPTR(), OBJRESULT, PARSE, PROGID$, RETAIN$(), SWITCH, TAB$(), UCODE$(), VARIANT(), and lots more. We've even added USING$() with unlimited parameters for fixed-field format, and TRY..CATCH..FINALLY..END TRY adds structure for run-time error handling. Of course, DDT has been expanded with a raft of new functionality! Add a splash of color, change fonts, utilize the new user data area, force a redraw, post or send a message, assign icons and text with ease... all in easy-to use DDT functions. More information? Sure, it's very simple. Just click to go to each or all of the PowerBASIC product pages... PB/CC 3.0: http://www.powerbasic.com/products/pbcc/ PB/WINDOWS 7.0: http://www.powerbasic.com/products/pbdll32/ PowerBASIC Forms: http://www.powerbasic.com/products/pbforms/ Graphics Tools: http://www.powerbasic.com/products/graftool/ PB/WIN 7.0 is attractively priced at $199.00, while PB/CC 3.0 is just $169.00. Upgrades from the prior versions are just $99 and $89. PowerBASIC Forms is priced at $99. Graphics Tools Standard and Pro are $69.95 and $139.95. You can order with ease by just replying to this email. You can call us at (800) 780-7707 or (941) 408-8700, fax us at (941) 408-8820, place an electronic order on our web site (www.powerbasic.com), or even mail it in. But no matter the method you choose, please do it today and do it with confidence. Every product PowerBASIC ships for physical delivery is offered with a money-back guarantee for a full 30 days from the transaction date. Regards, Bob Zale, President PowerBASIC Inc. =================================================================== PowerBASIC Price List ------------------------------------------------------------------- PB/CC Console Compiler 3.0 - Full Product $169.00 PB/CC Console Compiler 3.0 - Upgrade from vs 2 89.00 PB/CC Console Compiler 3.0 - Upgrade from vs 1 119.00 Add Printed Documentation 39.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PowerBASIC for Windows 7.0 (GUI) - Full Product $199.00 PowerBASIC for Windows 7.0 - Upgrade from ver 6 99.00 PowerBASIC for Windows 7.0 - Upgrade from prior versions 129.00 Add Printed Documentation 39.00 PowerBASIC Forms Visual Design Tool for PB/Win 7 99.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PowerBASIC for DOS 3.5 - Full Product $99.00 PowerBASIC for DOS 3.5 - Upgrade from prior versions 49.00 Add Printed Documentation (2 book set) 29.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PowerTree BTree Manager for DOS and Windows $99.00 PB/Vision for DOS 20.00 PB/Xtra III for DOS and Windows 49.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Graphics Tools Standard ver 2 $69.95 Graphics Tools Professional ver 2 139.95 Console Tools Standard 49.95 Console Tools Professional 99.95 SQL Tools Standard Version 99.95 SQL Tools Professional Version 199.95 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shipping/Handling costs: Software & Each Any Software 1 or 2 books Addl Book Email $6 N/A N/A UPS Ground/Mail US $10 $10 $6 Fedex 2-day US $16 $16 $6 Fedex 1-day US $28 $28 $6 Air Mail Canada/Mex $12 $22 $6 Air Mail Intl $16 $28 $6 Fedex Intl $34 $44 $6 Fedex International Rates are for Western Europe, Pacific Rim, Asia, and North America. Others please request a quotation. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Order online at https://www.powerbasic.com/shop/ (secure server) or just send an email with all pertinent information to sales@powerbasic.com and we'll take it from there! ------------------------------------------------------------------- Most PowerBASIC products (those without printed books) can now be delivered by electronic mail. No wait for a package to arrive... No high shipping costs... For just $6 per order, no matter how many products, we'll deliver directly to your computer. If you're outside the U.S., savings might be greater. You won't pay taxes or duties to a freight company or postal service because they aren't involved in the delivery. Check your tax code to be sure, but some countries charge no tax at all on transactions like this. It could just be your lucky day! ==================================================================== Is your PowerBASIC Gazette Electronic Edition subscription coming to you at home or work? If you don't want to miss a single issue, why not subscribe from both email addresses? Send your subscription request to email@powerbasic.com and please include your name and all email addresses you'd like to add as well as your Zip or Postal Code. If you know someone else who would enjoy this newsletter please forward a copy to them so they can subscribe. ==================================================================== All contents Copyright (c) 2003 PowerBASIC Inc All Rights Reserved. PowerBASIC is a registered trademark of PowerBASIC, Inc. PB/CC, PB/DLL, PB/Win, PowerTREE, and PowerBASIC Forms are trademarks of PowerBASIC Inc. Other names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. ==================================================================== PowerBASIC Gazette - Electronic Edition Volume 1 - Issue 36 PowerBASIC, Inc. (800) 780-7707 Sales 1978 Tamiami Trail S. #200 (941) 408-8700 Voice Venice, FL 34293-5006 (941) 408-8820 Fax Visit www.powerbasic.com email to sales@powerbasic.com This newsletter is only sent to email addresses in our subscription list. If you have received this newsletter by mistake or no longer wish to receive it, please send a simple unsubscribe request to gazette@powerbasic.com with your name and zip/postal code. ====================================================================