To Fred and Timo: Can we have a discussion about the future?

[Mistrel]

PureBasic is your baby and you have your own agenda. I don't presume to tell you how to direct the course of your language. But I am a user and it does affect me. I would love for there to be some discussion on the future of the language (not libraries) of PureBasic and whether there are plans on improving it.

My impression is that, while the product which is PureBasic continues to evolve, most of the changes which occur are at the library level. While this approach incentivising old and new hobbyists, it's very mundane for experienced users and those of us who use PureBasic as a lighter platform to leverage our own choice of libraries. I feel that this library-centric to updates approach is stagnating improvements to the language and, at least for me, leads to disappointment with every release.

I would love for you to have a community discussion with us on future plans for the language or whether you are comfortable with its current evolution and that we should accept that there are no immediate plans on further improvement. I wish to emphasize again that I am referring specifically to language enhancements and not on the product as a whole. It continues to be demonstrated that PureBasic is a healthy product and receives ongoing updates.

PureBasic was not my first language but it is what helped get started in Computer Science. I'm very proud to say that I have and continue to use it regularly and truly enjoy the ease and accessibility that it provides. I would argue that I owe the success of my entire career to being introduced to PureBasic and that I wouldn't be where I am today without it being in my life.

But working professionally and with many different languages has also exposed me to fascinating, modern paradigms, that make programming safer, easier, and with clearer intent. The more I learn to appreciate these features, the more PureBasic comes to show its age. I wouldn't expect any changes that are contrary to its mission, such those which are object-oriented. But there are still plenty of improvements which are possible for its procedural approach.

Given this honest request, would the staff be interested in a dialog with the community on the future of PureBasic; possibly after a blog post if you would like to provide any introduction on anything you may already have planned?

Thank you for your consideration.

[plouf]

i agree with your opinion in one way

However keep in mind, that this "simplicity" is what have made PB's nature and personality
which is the reason of PB's preference over anything other, for many (most ?)

[marc_256]

hello Mistrel,

I agree with you, maybe we need a more professional approach,
even I like to pay more for a professional PB license...

I love PB for a long time now, and I still want to use it for a long time,
but for some applications I need to switch to other languages ...
So, it becomes a mix between PB and others ...

I also like a faster response for some problems.

for me I need speed in my programs...

PB user/lover,
marco

[Lord]

@ Fred:
Keep it BASIC, keep it YOUR way.
(Maybe minus SpiderBasic).

[Dude]

Keep it BASIC

I agree. I bought it for Basic; all I want for it is to stay Basic.

[Kwai chang caine]

It's true it's very difficult, manly for those who use PB all the days, to wait month after month and never know something for the future
Furthermore i have the feeling, perhaps wrong, that the time between new versions are more long
To have sometime news, even if you are absolutely not forced, maybe help to understand in what direction you want to go

For several of us, a new version is a real change in the life it's also for that sometime the reaction are a little bit too much disapointed, so much we waiting more

In all case....thanks a lot for all the works you have already do for us

[the.weavster]

(Maybe minus SpiderBasic).

Perhaps we could also discuss how to make heretics repent

[Dude]

i have the feeling, perhaps wrong, that the time between new versions are more long

Fred's married now. Whether we like it or not, PureBasic simply can't come first anymore. Not saying he shouldn't get married; just saying that his ability to work on it is far less than when a bachelor; and that's just life, and that's 100% fair. The language still gets updated more often than a million others that I use. In fact, PureBasic is probably the only product I use that even gets updates these days.

I recently joined another forum for another app and the support there is terrible. Takes the developer literally days or a week to get back to me, and he even deleted a bug report I posted on his forum because he didn't consider it a bug (copying a PNG to another folder made it a JPG instead, with visible artifacts). Compared to him, Fred's support and the regular updates here are top-notch!

Count your blessings, people.

[Kwai chang caine]

Yes you have right, sometime i forgot that
Since this moment, he must sharing his love with two things now
I hope his wife are not too jealous
FRED is a little bit a star..with all his fans, a second reason to be jealous too
I believe we are only men or nearly...., fortunately for his couple...not also good for us

[IceSoft]

What does a private life have to do here?
I thought it's a discuss about PureBasic.
Please be professional.

[Kwai chang caine]

What does a private life have to do here?....Please be professional.

Where i'm not professional

It's true it's very difficult, manly for those who use PB all the days, to wait month after month and never know something for the future
Furthermore i have the feeling, perhaps wrong, that the time between new versions are more long
To have sometime news, even if you are absolutely not forced, maybe help to understand in what direction you want to go
For several of us, a new version is a real change in the life it's also for that sometime the reaction are a little bit too much disapointed, so much we waiting more
In all case....thanks a lot for all the works you have already do for us

I just answered at DUDE

Fred's married now. Whether we like it or not

[Fred]

Compiler wise, I don't think we will add a tons a new stuffs, as PureBasic has been created to be a beginner friendly language, and that's our main target. I'm also using other languages (mainly C#) on daily basis, and while I like a lot of features of it (LINQ, Generics, Garbage Collector, Lamba, etc.) it's designed for professional coders. Doing a competitor of professional langage makes just no sense, who will actually buy it ? Professionals have C#, C++, Java, and it covers all the use cases.

BTW, we already added too much IMHO. Interfaces for example is a cool feature but it's bring complexity to the code and almost a different paradigm (a bit of OOP in PB). Indeed current compiler can still be improved here and here, and it will be done when I can squeeze back some more time to focus on it.

That's also why we are focusing on libraries, it's easier to jump on and off, and makes some valuable progress for everyone.

[skywalk]

I thought Interface was added to bind to Windows COM libraries? But, they are a form of oop also.

[Fred]

I thought Interface was added to bind to Windows COM libraries? But, they are a form of oop also.

They was, it was to access COM objects easily, as it's the only way to do cleanly. But it opened the door to OOP like programming, which wasn't the expected goal (if we wanted OOP we would have added proper class and inheritance built-in).

[skywalk]

Well, you must accept the unexpected with a rich tool as PureBasic. Look at all the languages derived from C.