dos_compilers/Microsoft QuickBASIC v1/README.DOC

     MICROSOFT
     QuickBASIC Compiler
     README.DOC
     
     July 18, 1985
     
     
     The following file contains information in addition to the
     Microsoft QuickBASIC Manual.
     
     The following files are on your QuickBASIC diskette:
     
     Compiler Files:
     
     BASCOM   EXE    The QuickBASIC Compiler
     BCOM10   LIB    The QuickBASIC Compiler Library
     BRUN10   EXE    The QuickBASIC Runtime
     BRUN10   LIB    The QuickBASIC Runtime Library
     LINK     EXE    The Microsoft Linker
     GWCASS   OBJ    Object module for cassette support
     GWCOM    OBJ    Object module for communications support
     SMALLERR OBJ    Object module for producing small error
                     messages, and therefore, a smaller EXE file
     
     README   DOC    This information file
     
     
     Demonstration Files:  The following examples have been
     placed on the disk for your convenience.  These examples are
     identical to the examples in chapter 9 of the manual, under
     the sections headed by the statement/function noted.
     
     CALL     BAS    This demonstrates the use of the CALL
                     statement
     
     COMMAND  BAS    This shows the use of the COMMAND$ function
     
     DEFFN    BAS    This shows the use of DEF FN in multi-line
                     functions
     
     MAIN     BAS    This example, combined with DIGIT.BAS and
                     DEC.BAS show the use of the CHAIN statement
                     as well as COMMON variables
     
     DIGIT    BAS    See MAIN.BAS
     DEC      BAS    See MAIN.BAS
     
     SUB      BAS    This shows the use of SUB..SUB END/SUB EXIT
                     to create named subroutines
     
     DRAW     BAS    This shows the use of the DRAW statement
     
     PLAY     BAS    This shows the use of the PLAY statement
     
     REDIM    BAS    This shows the use of the REDIM statement
                     with dynamic arrays and ERASE
     
     SHARED   BAS    This shows the use of SHARE statement in
                     named subroutines with shared variables

     REMLINE  BAS    This program is designed to take programs
                     written for a Microsoft BASIC Interpreter
                     and remove the unreferenced line numbers
                     for use with QuickBASIC.  REMLINE assumes
                     that the program is syntactically correct.
     
     GENERAL NOTES:
     
     - QuickBASIC can read Microsoft Word formatted files.  For
     those users of QuickBASIC who own Microsoft Word,
     you can use Word to edit your programs.  There is no need to
     save the file non-formatted, as QuickBASIC will disreguard
     any formatting information and compile the program.
     
     - if you are using the runtime library and either cassette or
     communications support, you must link in either
     GWCASS.OBJ (for cassette support) or GWCOM.OBJ (for
     communications support).
     
     - If you are using the LOCK or  UNLOCK statements, or the
     LOCK type clause in the OPEN statement , you should
     be aware that they will only function at runtime if you are
     using MS-DOS 3.00 or higher.  The code will be compiled,
     however, if you are using a DOS below 3.00 you will receive
     an ADVANCED FEATURE runtime ERROR if either a LOCK or an
     UNLOCK is performed.
     
     If you are using MS-DOS 3.00 you must run the SHARE
     program to perform any locking operation.
     
     
     ADDITIONS TO THE MANUAL:
     
     OPEN STATEMENT:
     
     The compiler fully supports the syntax of the IBM BASICA 3.00
     interpreter OPEN statement. The functionality of the OPEN statement
     has been enhanced to control access to opened files in a
     network environment. The new, expanded syntax is:
     
     OPEN "<filespec>" [FOR <mode>][ACCESS <access>]
          [<locktype>] AS [#] <filenum> [LEN=<record length>]
     
     <mode> specifications may now include the RANDOM keyword.
     
     When no <mode> is specified, RANDOM file mode is assumed.
     In RANDOM mode, if no ACCESS clause is present, three
     attempts are made to open the file when the OPEN
     statement is executed. Access is attempted in the
     following order:
     
          1. Read/write
     
          2. Write-only
     
          3. Read-only
     
     The ACCESS clause specifies the type of operation to be
     performed on the opened file. If the file is already opened
     by another process and access of the type specified is
     not allowed, the OPEN will fail and a "Permission Denied"
     error message is generated.
     
     The ACCESS types are:
     
     READ      Opens the file for reading only.
     
     WRITE          Opens the file for writing only.
     

     READ WRITE     Opens the file for both reading and
               writing. This mode is invalid for all
               except RANDOM files and files opened for APPEND.
     
     The <locktype> clause restricts access by other processes
     to an open file. The locktypes are
     
     default      If <locktype> is not specified, the file
                  may be opened for reading and
                  writing any number of times by this process,
                  but other processes are
                  denied access to the file while it is opened.
     
     SHARED            Any process on any machine may read from or write
                       to this file.
     
     LOCK READ    No other process is granted read access to this file.
                  This access is granted only if no other process has
                  a previous LOCK READ access to the file.
     
     LOCK WRITE        No other process is granted write access to this
                  file.  This also is granted only if no other process
                  has a previous access
                  of this kind to the file.
     
     LOCK READ WRITE    No other process is granted either read or write
                  access to this file. This access is
                     granted only if LOCK READ WRITE
                  has not already been granted to another process.
     
     OPEN now generates error 70 "Permission Denied", when the
     OPEN is restricted by a previous process. Error 70 was
     previously "Disk Write Protect." A write protected disk will
     still give you an error 70.
     
     
     SEGMENT MAPS:  Section 8.5
     
     The following entry showed be added to the Segment Maps
     found in both tables 8.1 and 8.2.  If you use named
     COMMON, the named COMMON segment will be in the segment
     table.
     
     In the Low DS section of the tables, after the entry which
     looks like:
     
              BC_DATA               BC_VARS
     
     If named COMMONs are used there will be one entry for each
     named COMMON which looks like:
     
              FOO                   BC_VARS
     
     where "FOO" is the name of the COMMON.