DarkBASIC

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DarkBASIC
Basic data

developer The Game Creators Limited
Publishing year 2000
Current  version Classic: 1.21 (August 14, 2008)
Professional: 7.62 (1.0762)
(May 12, 2012)
operating system Windows
category Compiler
License WITH
German speaking Yes
github.com/LeeBamberTGC/Dark-Basic-Pro

DarkBASIC is an integrated development environment (IDE) and programming language , both developed by the British company The Game Creators . The language is a BASIC dialect and accesses the DirectX - libraries from Microsoft back. A special feature is that commands can also contain spaces .

DarkBASIC enables easy handling of 3D objects, graphics , sounds and other media.

The American trade magazine Game Developer devoted a detailed test report to DarkBASIC Professional in 2003 and rated it with 4 out of 5 points.

In November 2015, DarkBASIC Professional source code was published on GitHub.

DarkBASIC

The first version of Dark Basic, also DarkBasic Classic (short DB or DBC) called, was published in 1999. In this version, the created are programs BASIC typically interpreted . DarkBASIC uses the functions of DirectX versions 6 to 8.1.

Network functions were added through a patch released in 2000 . This version is no longer developed any further.

The manufacturer operates a program that offers this software for schools free of charge.

DarkBASIC Professional

The professional version of DarkBASIC (DBP for short), which is sold in Germany under the name 3D Games Creator , was released in 2002.

It includes a new, more user-friendly IDE and other improvements that affect the language and technology of the commands supplied. For example, DarkBASIC Professional supports new file formats that did not exist in the Classic version. Among other things, these include Half-Life - or Quake III Arena - cards , also the programs are in real machine code translated.

This variant of DarkBASIC also uses DirectX versions 8 and 9 (currently 10.0 February 2008).

For this version there are extensions by the manufacturer himself as well as those provided by the community.

Language scope

category Examples new in DBP
Core If Dim And
system Call Dll Fog Available Make memory
mathematics Sin Inc Make Vector3
Input / output Print Mouse click Make Memblock From File
network Ftp Connect Create Net Game Http Connect
Audio Play sound Load 3DSound Set Music Volume
2Dimensional Circle Blur bitmap Load DVD animation
3-dimensional Make Object Sphere Point light Load BSP
category Examples new in DBP

Source code examples

Hello World

   PRINT "Hello World"
   WAIT KEY  'der Befehl ist nötig, damit das Programm nicht sofort beendet wird

3D example

Use the arrow keys to move a cube across the screen 

   sync on   ' aktiviere die manuelle Bildschirmsyncronisation
   sync rate 60  ' setze die Bildschirmwiederholungsrate auf 60Hz

   rem ' deaktiviere die automatische Programmbeendung durch die [Esc]-Taste
   disable escapekey
   make object cube 1, 100    ' erstelle einen Würfel mit der Größe 100
   posz = 10
   posx = 10
   posy = 10
   repeat    ' start Hauptschleife

      ' Steuere die Position des Würfels
      if upkey() = 1 then inc posy
      if downkey() = 1 then dec posy
      if leftkey() = 1 then dec posx
      if rightkey() = 1 then inc posx

      position object 1, posx, posy, posz    ' positioniere das Objekt neu
      sync   ' aktualisiere das Bild
   until escapekey() = 1  ' beende die Hauptschleife, wenn [Esc]-Taste gedrückt
   delete object 1   ' lösche das am Anfang erstelle Objekt
   end   ' beende das Programm

Sync On

The Sync On was a since 2002 annual take-find meeting of the German DarkBasic community, there were lectures held for game development, presented games and programs. Lead developer Lee Bamber from the United Kingdom was also a guest at these meetings . The following venues and hosts have appeared in the past.

  • 2002 in Bamberg by Thomas Görtler and Michael Karg
  • 2003 in Bamberg by Thomas Görtler and Michael Karg
  • 2004 in Bamberg by Thomas Görtler
  • 2005 in Berlin by D-Man
  • 2006 in Altenstadt by Stephan Geist

Programs created with DarkBASIC

Others

A “hacker photo” circulating in the news media contained DarkBASIC code. The associated program was created at the end of 2011 during a programming course for DarkBASIC at an American school and was originally intended to simulate a toaster.

literature

  • Jonathan S. Harbor: DarkBASIC Pro Game Programming, Second Edition , Course Technology, ISBN 1-59863-287-6 (English)
  • Alistair Stewart: Hands On DarkBASIC Pro - Volume 1 , Digital Skills, ISBN 1-874107-08-4 (English)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.thegamecreators.com/pages/newsletters/newsletter_issue_9.html
  2. ↑ https://forum.thegamecreators.com/thread/215409?page=2#msg2573466
  3. ↑ Alexander Merz: Symbolic image: Bad, bad toaster. In: golem.de . April 16, 2013, accessed April 17, 2013 .