OVER 2 YOU 219 (22/02/05)

BACK TO BASIC

I wish to potter with some ultra-simple programming, as I did many years ago on the BBC Micro. Does anyone know of a way that I can get back to BASIC on a modern PC? I really mean something like "for x = 1 to 5, y = 1 to 10, print x + y, next y, next x", and preferably something that comes with easy to follow instructions.

Bernard Harrison, via email

MS QBASIC (or Quick Basic) provides exactly the programming environment Bernard Harrison is seeking. Regrettably this application is not included with XP but can be found on the installation CD for Windows 95, 98 and ME in the tools\oldmsdos folder. Look for qbasic.exe and qbasic.hlp.

Many books have been written on the subject and very satisfactory results can be achieved. It is widely believed that such DOS-based programs will not run under XP but they do - QBASIC can be launched with Command.com (Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt).

The programming window is smaller in XP than in the DOS based versions of Windows but it still allows useful programs of all kinds to be written. Simple printing to almost any printer is also possible and files can be transferred to PCs and other machines, such as the Sinclair Spectrum, and Amstrad NC100 etc., via linked serial ports.

Cliff Jackson, via email

I suggest Bernard Harrison looks at VBA (Visual Basic for Applications), which is included in many Microsoft products, such as Word and Excel. It can do a lot, from simple macros to creating sophisticated applications to manipulate data held in Excel

worksheets. Some functions that may be unwieldy in Excel using formulae/functions can often be executed more efficiently in VBA macros. You can also write your own functions that can be called from cells in the usual way e.g. =Myfunction(Argument1, argument2, etc.).

Dr Martin Davies, Swindon

I am sure you get recommendations for Quick Basic and Visual Basic (although I found the latter difficult to get into and use effectively).  However, as a radical alternative may I suggest he looks at www.picaxe.com. This is a control system based on PIC microprocessors but programmed in BASIC via your PC. The best part is that you can actually get your program to do something in the real world - for example: building robots, which is fun, cheap and easy.

The PC software and all documentation is free online, the basic hardware costs between £3 and £12 for a starter kit depending on the complexity and there is a very good help forum on the web site as well as a world wide user group mostly from the education sector. We use this system in school and even the students are enthusiastic.

Richard Harris, Head of Design and Technology, Boston Grammar School.

Your correspondent should look no further than JustBasic, a freeware program downloadable from www.justbasic.com, which is simple but powerful. It can even handle simple graphics.

Peter Small, Milton Keynes

Your correspondent’s quest for a programming language on PCs like BBC BASIC is easily solved - use BBC BASIC. There are a number of versions around which will run under Windows, and he should take a look at: http://web.onetel.net.uk/~richardweston/

The version I have works on all releases of Windows up to and including XP Pro. It doesn't do graphics on the PC though. All you get are white characters on a black screen.

Peter Brown, via email

Try Yabasic It’s free and downloadable from: www.yabasic.de. It is actively supported and documented. Text files are interpreted on the fly as normal but the bonus is the ‘Bind’ feature, which allows you to bundle the interpreter and BASIC program into one .exe file that you can send to others who do not have to have Yabasic installed.

David Procter, via email

I use BBC BASIC for Windows from R. T. Russell (www.rtrussell.co.uk). A free evaluation version (for programs to 8k only) is available to download; the full version (providing up to 256Mb of memory for program, data and stack) costs £29.99. I admit I was surprised to find that this software is available, and also what a large following BBC BASIC still has, via the Internet! Running BBC BASIC within Windows, rather than using an emulator, allows the use of the clipboard to copy and paste listings from a word processor or text editor, or from Internet sites. If Mr Harrison has any of his old programs on disc, or he can scan printed listings into Word, he should easily be able to run them using this software.

A Moore, via email

I suggest that Bernard Harrison tries 'Virtual Acorn '. This is an emulator for Archimedes

machines that runs in a window on a PC. I admit I use an Acorn machine normally but I have

found Virtual Acorn useful for transferring work when I need something in PC format. In fact the only use I have for a PC (my wife's) is for e-mail! More details are available from: www.virtualacorn.co.uk/index2.htm

Chris Purvis, via email

GWBasic is the one to try. It works in a command window and is downloadable from:  www.geocities.com/KindlyRat/GWBASIC.html. It includes a wide range of support material for BASIC and I still use it for a program that I wrote many years ago.

Ifan M. Hughes, via email

CLUBBING TOGETHER

I run a Christmas Club collecting savings from its members on a weekly basis. Members can contribute variable amounts on variable dates. The Club bank account accrues interest on contributions and also adds to this occasionally by means of fund raising activities. Can anyone suggest an application or spreadsheet formula by which this income can be fairly divided at Christmas time according to the individual total amounts paid in and the varying time these are on deposit?

Tony Rogers, via email

This is easily achieved using Excel if one adopts the principle of calculating "penny_days" getting a total of all contributors individual "penny_days" and then taking a proportion of the total interest received. Days are easily calculated using the DAY function and the rest is simple mathematics

M. A. Lang, via email

CAN YOU HELP?

My wife suffers from dementia and resides in a care home. She has one interest, old songs such as 'It's a long way to Tipperary', 'Clementine' and so on. Does anyone know of an Internet download site that caters for old tunes like these so that I can compile them into a CD-ROM?

Derek A. Bamford, via email

I am a member of Coastwatch which is a voluntary charitable organisation manning ex Coastguard lookout stations keeping a watch, around the clock, on our coastline for the safety of people using the sea, foreshore and cliffs. We produce a monthly manning roster in Excel but this is assembled manually. The length of duty watches can vary between weekdays and weekends and two people are generally required per watch. Some watch keepers are trainees and can only do watchkeeping when accompanied by a qualified watch keeper. Each watch keeper is expected to do 4 watches per month. Can anyone recommend software, preferably free, which will assist us in producing our duty rosters?

Neil P Tourle, Newhaven