PureBasic 6.40 alpha 4 is ready, surprise inside !

[mikejs]

AddFastStringStr
AddFastStringVal

AddFString()
AddFStringStr()

BufferString()
AddBufferStringStr()
AddBStringStr()

LenString()
AddLenStringStr()
AddLStringStr()

StringEx()
AddStringExStr()

Is there a performance reason why we would need all these Str variants?

Would 100,000 iterations of AddFStringStr(a, b) be faster than the same number of AddFString(a, Str(b))?

Because otherwise this seems like a lot of proliferation of functions - and incomplete as it would also need StrF, StrD, maybe Hex versions as well. Maybe even FormatDate()?

We already have a range of simple functions for turning variables of various kinds into strings with flexibility over the formatting, and I'm not sure we need many new functions that replicate all that, unless calling Str() etc all the time defeats the purpose.

(Or am I misunderstanding something here?)

Same argument applies whether it's FastString, StringBuilder, or whatever as the base name of the function.

On that question, what about BuildString()? By analogy with ReadFile(), CreateDirectory(), etc. PB is generally more "VerbNoun()" than "NounVerber()".

[Axolotl]

Sometimes I wish there was a (sensible) naming convention (Namespace, Module, etc.) for all constants, commands, and functions. That would make adding new libraries and system functions more future-proof.
Even if it's not very likely, the new names could lead to conflicts with existing code. (Just my thoughts while reading your comments)
No complaints, please keep up the good work.

[tola]

Hello,

With version 6.40 beta 3, I can neither save nor load files. PureBasic freezes when the save or load dialog boxes appear.

I have an old PC running Windows 10 with several versions of PureBasic in different directories.

I disabled the Windows 10 antivirus, but it didn't help.

I tried using other directories, but that didn't work either.

Is anyone else experiencing the same issue?

[mk-soft]

Hello,
With version 6.40 beta 3, I can neither save nor load files. PureBasic freezes when the save or load dialog boxes appear.
I have an old PC running Windows 10 with several versions of PureBasic in different directories.
I disabled the Windows 10 antivirus, but it didn't help.
I tried using other directories, but that didn't work either.
Is anyone else experiencing the same issue?

Works fine here. Send a PN with test-code

[CalamityJames]

Not the same issue, but I have had repeated crashes when loading a project from the "Recent Projects" menu item. If the project is loaded on PureBasic launch, as I have it set to do, there is no problem. I can drop and drag a project file with no difficulty. The problem is not confined to one project file, and does not happen with earlier versions of PureBasic

[syntonica]

Code: Select all

b$ = FastString(0, 64000)
For i = 1 To 250000
  AppendFastString(0, a$)
  b$+"*"
Next

Question to anyone:
What strategy is being used to expand the string's capacity, if any? Normally, I see it doubled and reallocated, but this can get pretty dicey with very large strings.

[Fred]

It's not doubled, it's the size of the appened string + the buffer size you defined in CreateStringBuilder()

[syntonica]

It's not doubled, it's the size of the appened string + the buffer size you defined in CreateStringBuilder()

Oh, that's perfect. Thank you!
I grind through lots of strings and this helps.

[minimy]

Thank you very much for this new version.
Great addition the new string super fast.
Donloaded and testing.

[Fred]

2026-02-12: alpha 4 is out, the assembly x64 backend is back in business ! If you can, please test it to see if everything works as expected.

[marcoagpinto]

2026-02-12: alpha 4 is out, the assembly x64 backend is back in business ! If you can, please test it to see if everything works as expected.

Thanks, @Fred and team.

[devulder]

Hi,
On MacOS, install 6.40 alpha 4
When running window title display "PureBasic 6.30 beta 7"
MacOS users can you confirm ?

[Fred]

It's only for Windows x64 for now (still in alpha)

[Kiffi]

On MacOS...

The alpha version is only available for Windows for the time being

[idle]

web server is working ok with 6.40 A4 asm backend
500ms to load 1.6mb from Sydney to Auckland
3026ms to load 1.6mb from Frankfurt to Auckland