SuperB Basic for Windows Progress --- Historical Beta Update Reports

BETA 11D (4 March 1998)

New Stuff that works:

New INI file parameter: Section [Setup] NETWORK.BIN=<alternate-network.bin>.   The <alternate-network.bin> specification is either:
        1) A filename - use this filename on the LIBRA1 directory (HCIS for HCIS applications).
        2) A fully qualified Dos path - Use the specified file
        3) A System/23 style name - Find the file on the HD list and use that.

SPL10 & ENDSPL10 support for:
        1) Netware Capture arguments - a slash ('/') followed by arguments execute the command 'CAPTURE /arguments'.
        2) Explicit spooling command - an exclamation point followed by an explicit command.
        3) A filename or device name - prints to the specified file/device.
        4) A Windows Printer Name - [NOT IMPLEMENTED YET] a leading colon (':') followed by a Windows printer name triggers GDI printing

(HCIS only) A Client/Server interface for the Delphi control component can now return error code information for an existing Program Exception trap.

Fixed Error 57 on RESTORE of a Display file by position (REC=byte position).

Fixed REC(n) to properly return byte position on Display files.

Fixed BACKSPACE and ESC to return proper cmdkey values for CMDKEY=ALL.

All files were being closed on CHAIN without files while inside a CHAINSUB (including files hidden from the CHAINSUB parent program).

The current pcode filename FILE$(0) was incorrect after a CHAINSUB and CHAINSUB-RETURN.

 

BETA 11C (3 March 1998)

PLEASE READ THE "BETA 10" SECTIONS BELOW.

WB.EXE has been renamed to SBW.EXE (please see home page for more information)..

New Stuff that works:

HCIS only:  Automatically tie opens of LOCALnn/HCIS to the LDA buffer.

Matrix range support (arithmetic, string, and integer).

 

BETA 11B (2 March 1998)

PLEASE READ THE "BETA 10" SECTIONS BELOW.

New Stuff that works:

Fixed bug in Machine$("CLEAR-WIN=n") which sometimes caused a GPF.

Fixed LINPUT to read lines same way as Dos LBASIC.  Lines are not ended by <linefeed> without preceeding <return>.

OPEN of file with blank volid no longer generates a GPF.  Now it searches the virtual root followed by all first level subdirectories for the specified file.

Changed Netware access to dynamic so that the Novell Netware Client libraries are not needed unless you are keyed for Novell in your NETWORK.BIN file.  This makes the WB-NO-NW.EXE program obsolete.

HCIS only: LIBRA1 to HCIS translation.

Windows caret (yellow box cursor) displays more often.  Please report circumstances in which it still doesn't work.

 

BETA 11A (2 March 1998)

PLEASE READ THE "BETA 10" SECTIONS BELOW.

New Stuff that works:

Color in window borders is now correct.

Support for access to a preallocated "Local Data Area" via the use of Memory Mapped Files is provided.

Beta expiration date has been bumped to April 30, 1998.

 

BETA 11 (23 February 1998)

PLEASE READ THE "BETA 10" SECTIONS BELOW.

New Stuff that works:

X(1,2) += 1 gave 10001 error (X is an non-integer arithmetic array).

Allow network keying to NONET via standalone NETWORK.BIN to run WB without either Active Server or Netware Server.

Created a netware-disabled version of WB that does not require the Novell Netware Client DLLs (included in ZIP file as 'WB-NO-NW.EXE'

x = y(z, z) gave 122 error for x,y,z of type integer

Mat copies between integer and non-integer numeric arrays did not work properly.

 

What doesn't work in this release (to do for 100%):

Nested INI files

Will be able to nest INI files and will have Vendor and User specific INI sections.

Window Menu Bar

Needs to be removed from application window.

Printer Redirection

SPL10 emulation for CAPTURE and !NET USE stuff.

Various Machine$ Functions

A lot of them are implemented.  Some are not.

BETA 10E (20 February 1998)

PLEASE READ THE "BETA 10" and "BETA 10A" SECTIONS BELOW.

New Stuff that works:

Integer SRCH function.

Machine$("ENV-SERIAL")

Machine$("SERIAL-KEY")

Machine$("RESERVE=ON")

Machine$("RESERVE=OFF")

Machine$("SHADOW-WIN=ON") -- Window shadowing is turned on, but does not display.

Machine$("SHADOW-WIN=OFF") -- Window shadowing is turned off, but does not display.

Machine$("PCT=FAST") -- No function in WB.   Ignored.

Machine$("PCT=DOS") -- No function in WB.   Ignored.

Machine$("PCT=BIOS") -- No function in WB.   Ignored.

Machine$("PINWHEEL")

Machine$("SHOW-TIME")

.

What doesn't work in this release (to do for 100%):

Nested INI files

Will be able to nest INI files and will have Vendor and User specific INI sections.

Window Menu Bar

Needs to be removed from application window.

Printer Redirection

SPL10 emulation for CAPTURE and !NET USE stuff.

Various Machine$ Functions

A lot of them are implemented.  Some are not.

BETA 10D (19 February 1998)

PLEASE READ THE "BETA 10" SECTION BELOW.

New Stuff that works:

Various problems with integer arithmetic resulting in 10002 errors and other problems have been fixed.

A sign error in LB conversion has been fixed.  This resulted in spurous error 3's.

INPUT FIELDS row,col,len,"ATTR":x$ was trimming trailing spaces on input.   This resulted in a zero length character string on at least one test case input request leading to a 414 error when it was passed to ORD.

A problem triggered on freeing memory for an _DIM'd array has been fixed.  This resulted in a GPF at the time of the next chain or use operation.

What doesn't work in this release (to do for 100%):

Nested INI files

Will be able to nest INI files and will have Vendor and User specific INI sections.

Window Menu Bar

Needs to be removed from application window.

Printer Redirection

SPL10 emulation for CAPTURE and !NET USE stuff.

Various Machine$ Functions

A lot of them are implemented.  Some are not.

BETA 10C (18 February 1998)

PLEASE READ THE "BETA 10" SECTION BELOW.

New Stuff that works:

CHAIN and USE now support integer arrays.

Printing is allowed to windows borders (line 0, column 0, etc.) as in Dos LBASIC.

Integer variables can now be included in quoted FORM strings.

LB and LBU process bytes in the proper order (least significant byte first).

PgUp and PgDn keys were being incorrectly processed as Up and Down arrows.

LTOK 2.81:  statements of the form DATA "TEXT"" were not generating errors previously

What doesn't work in this release (to do for 100%):

Nested INI files

Will be able to nest INI files and will have Vendor and User specific INI sections.

Window Menu Bar

Needs to be removed from application window.

Printer Redirection

SPL10 emulation for CAPTURE and !NET USE stuff.

Various Machine$ Functions

A lot of them are implemented.  Some are not.

Download LTOK version 2.81 here (only needed for new TRACE statement, see Beta 10B, or want to get errors on bad DATA syntax, see Beta 10C)

Download LASM version 2.85 here (only needed for new TRACE statement, see Beta 10B)

Download SERVER.EXE Version 1.13 here

BETA 10B (17 February 1998)

PLEASE READ THE "BETA 10" SECTION BELOW.

New Stuff that works:

Provide control of program line-number tracing via a Basic TRACE statement.   Statements are "TRACE OFF", "TRACE ON", TRACE PRINT" (or "PRINTER"), "TRACE WINDOW" and "TRACE expr" where "expr" is 0 for off, 1/2/4 bit or'd for Screen/Printer/Window.  Requires LTOK version 2.80 and LASM version 2.85 to compile.

POS("ABC", "", 1) was incorrectly returning the value 1.  It now returns 0 as expected.

Integer arithmetic compare operations were unimplemented and returning a 10002 error.   Now implemented.

Machine$("HELP...") functions are implemented.  To use:   Machine$("HELP=MAIN,Screen[,File.hlp/Volid]") sets the current F1 help screen to "Screen" in help file "File.hlp" on search path volid "Volid" and turns on F1 processing.  Either hitting the F1 key or executing Machine$("HELP=INVOKE") will pop up the help window.  The "Screen" is defined to be:  "0" => Help file contents, other numeric value shows the matching context ID screen, and non-numeric shows by keyword search.

What doesn't work in this release (to do for 100%):

Nested INI files

Will be able to nest INI files and will have Vendor and User specific INI sections.

Window Menu Bar

Needs to be removed from application window.

Printer Redirection

SPL10 emulation for CAPTURE and !NET USE stuff.

Various Machine$ Functions

A lot of them are implemented.  Some are not.

Download LTOK version 2.80 here.

Download LASM version 2.85 here.

Download SERVER.EXE Version 1.13 here

BETA 10A (13 February 1998)

PLEASE READ THE "BETA 10" SECTION BELOW.

New Stuff that works:

File Sharing via Novell Netware Client 32.  Some changes are needed to Dos LBASIC to make semaphores interoperable with WB.  Novell Semaphores are activated by using a "NOVELL" NETWORK.BIN file (keyed for your server).  At present, the serial number keying is being ignored.

What doesn't work in this release (to do for 100%):

Nested INI files

Will be able to nest INI files and will have Vendor and User specific INI sections.

Window Menu Bar

Needs to be removed from application window.

Printer Redirection

SPL10 emulation for CAPTURE and !NET USE stuff.

Various Machine$ Functions

A lot of them are implemented.  Some are not.

BETA 10 (12 February 1998)

PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE SECTION

New Stuff that works:

File Sharing via Active Server
BTRIEVE works again.
Breakpoints with repeat count (G 100 count 5 or G 100/5 to stop on the fifth time through)
More other stuff and bug fixes than I can remember

What doesn't work in this release (to do for 100%):

Nested INI files

Will be able to nest INI files and will have Vendor and User specific INI sections.

Window Menu Bar

Needs to be removed from application window.

Semaphores to Netware

Dos LBASIC compatible file sharing on Netware

Printer Redirection

SPL10 emulation for CAPTURE and !NET USE stuff.

Various Machine$ Functions

A lot of them are implemented.  Some are not.

Notes:

Beta 10 requires either that your workstation be using the "Novell" Netware Client or that certain Novell DLLs be installed appropriately on your system -- even if your NETWORK.BIN file is keyed for "DOS31" generic networking.  Please install the latest "Novell" Netware Client or contact me for a set of DLLs.

You will need to run the current version of the Windows NT/95 Active Server program and key your "DOS31" NETWORK.BIN file for the serial number that is reported to you when you start SERVER.EXE (you *will* be able to run one user WB without rekeying your NETWORK.BIN, just press the <Enter> key when prompted by SERVER.EXE).

Download SERVER.EXE Version 1.13 here

If you don't have a "DOS31" network.bin, download here

The NWSN utility permits you to easily rekey a NETWORK.BIN file.   Download here and contact Bob Armantrout for the PKUNZIP password and use instructions.

BETA 9 (24 December 1997)

New stuff that works:

Record Locks and LOCKED traps
Machine$("TIMER=")
Machine$("TIMER=CLEAR")
TIMER("hhmmss.mmm") & WAITIO
TIMEOUT traps
EXPIRETIMER

What doesn't work in this release (to do for 100%):

BTRIEVE

If you are using Btrieve, please don't bother with this Beta.  There are known problems that will prevent you from getting anywhere.

RESERVE

RESERVE statement for protecting file access.

RELEASE

Undo a RESERVE and free a record lock on file.

Nested INI files

Will be able to nest INI files and will have Vendor and User specific INI sections.

Window Menu Bar

Needs to be removed from application window.

Semaphores to Netware

Dos LBASIC compatible file sharing on Netware

Semaphores to Active Server

Dos LBASIC compatible file sharing for 95/NT.

File Sharing Modes

SHRU/SHR/NOSHR do not block each other yet.  This will happen when one of the Semaphore connections above is made.

Printer Redirection

SPL10 emulation for CAPTURE and !NET USE stuff.

Various Machine$ Functions

A lot of them are implemented.  Some are not.

Bug reports

12-30-97 Jason @ Geac

Send mail to CompanyWebmaster with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: April 16, 1998