PureBasic Forums - English

Hello All,

I've been using PB for a few weeks now and I've been able to cut my old programs down to 1/3!

I was just wondering, what are some of the pros and cons that you who have been using it longer have found?

What are its strengths and weeknesses? (This will help me to know what apps to use it for).

Thanks.

the bad parts...

- i'm missing quads (well, 64 bit ints, these are so damn necessary these days) and better precision in floats

- i think the whole expression evaluation thingy needs either a rework or an explanation, sometimes it is very unclear if things need or produce floats or ints, especially in long expression

- i could live with an unsigned byte var, although it's not essential it would speed up some code, using peekb(..) & $FF doesn't look very neat

- multiple case consitions, as in case 0,1 are missing

- the (old) editor, dunno about the new one yet, but i prefer japbe thus far

- better image manipulation, i would like to have more control over image depth independent of desktop resolution

- the 3d commands and sound features are not there yet

- some of the commands could use some streamlining, sometimes a 'use' statement is used, sometimes a paramter is given, this isn't too consistent, i'd rather have both syntaxes

- poor help file and documentation



the good parts

- compiles fast and runs fast, yeah there may be other faster products around, but it's fast enough for me... especially on this machine

- exe sizes are small

- i simply like basic, and with a gfabasic background i like (most of) the syntax

- direct use of api... no let me rephrase that... DIRECT USE OF API... gotta love this!!!!

- pb has an incredible community

- free updates, free updates, free updates

Pros:
The biggest pro for me is the native compilation of the executables (small size and fast execution) and yet it is still cross-platform.

Cons:
For me the biggest con is the Gadget library. I find it incomplete, inconsistent and unnecessarily complex. Something like what Tcl/Tk does with the Tk library would be ideal but I'd settle for more functionality and consistency with the existing library...

USCode wrote:Pros:
The biggest pro for me is the native compilation of the executables (small size and fast execution) and yet it is still cross-platform.

Cons:
For me the biggest con is the Gadget library. I find it incomplete, inconsistent and unnecessarily complex. Something like what Tcl/Tk does with the Tk library would be ideal but I'd settle for more functionality and consistency with the existing library...

I also think the Gadget library needs a complete rewrite: it's good in a certain way, BUT: as you said it's inconcsistent and incomplete, the CreateGadgetList stuff for example was perhaps a good idea at start but now
But of course there's some good reasons i'm using Purebasic, and these are the size of the executables which is incredible, the fast compilation, and the ability to create our own purebasic libraries with what we want

I think the Gadget library is one of PBs biggest assets.

At the moment it acts as a thin facade, and if you want to do anything more complicated you have to drop to the native API, which is fine as long as you don't want cross platform.

If you don't want cross platform you get all the benefits of being able to build a GUI that is 70% there with simple commands. You can then, very easily, complete the other 30% using API calls. This works well, until you want cross platform.

Pretty soon a GTK option will be available on windows, so even the cross platform problem will be solved.

Well, my turn

PROs:

1. Small executables.
2. It is quite fast in some areas, though BlitzMax and Visual Basic beats it in some areas.
3. Direct use of API ( WINDOWS Only!!!!)


CONs:

1. Keyboard library is broken, so it cannot be used.
2. Not really cross-platform yet (I understandf this will be fixed before 4.x).
3. Very long commands to use for simple calls.
4. Inconsistancy
5. No unsigned variables
6. poor documentation
7. Single pass compiler, places unnenessary (sp?) burden on the programmer and forces workarounds to be coded.
8. Requires Dx7 or higher, this forces textures to be dividable by 2. This has been fixed in Dx9 and the newest video drivers for decent video cards. There is no limitation to the sizes, but PB still has them!


---

There is a bit more to list above, but Im heading out with the family to enjoy the sun @ 53F degrees.

CONS:
1. Keyboard library is broken, so it cannot be used.
2. Not really cross-platform yet (I understandf this will be fixed before 4.x).
3. Very long commands to use for simple calls.
4. Inconsistancy
5. No unsigned variables
6. poor documentation
7. Single pass compiler, places unnenessary (sp?) burden on the programmer and forces workarounds to be coded.
8. Requires Dx7 or higher, this forces textures to be dividable by 2. This has been fixed in Dx9 and the newest video drivers for decent video cards. There is no limitation to the sizes, but PB still has them!

Shannara, you make me laugh! :roll: Apart from point 5 you are talking total nonsense.

Hi to eveyone

I have been enjoying reading this thread and just want to say that Pure Basic
is one of the best that I have seen

ok it lacks a little bit but it is getting there given time i think it will go from strength to strength....

I am currently working on a 2d/3d shoot em up and have recently mastered Linked lists for baddies etc, my point being is that i never knew how to do this
in other languages c++ very complex so for me its pure basic...

Keep up the good work fred

Kale wrote: Shannara, you make me laugh! :roll: Apart from point 5 you are talking total nonsense.

Lol, that is a great joke you made!! lol, made my day!

He is correct about the keyboard library...

He is correct about the keyboard library...

How is it Broken? I use it all the time

Most of Shanara's problems come down to being an inexperienced coder.....
The keyboard lib is not broken.
Shanara like's to call everything he don't like or does not understand about PureBasic an inconsistancy..

Shannara: as always, your posts are very constructive, thank you. Why don't you choose another programming langage (regarding your PRO/CON it's quite obvious) ? Just an idea..

Fred:

I believe since SoulReaper asked an honest question, he deserves an honest answer. I cannot help if people take offense to such honesty.

If you want, I will be more then happy to give a pro/con list to any language you suggest (in the off topic section of course

What about my suggestion ? I mean, choose another programming langage to code in.