X11-Basic is a fast, lightweight, and structured dialect of the BASIC programming language that includes built-in capabilities for graphical visualization, sound, and shell scripting. It was originally created by Markus Hoffmann and is designed to bring the easy-to-learn structure of classic BASIC into modern computing environments. Core Architecture & Features
Unlike early versions of BASIC, X11-Basic is a modern structured dialect that does not use line numbers. Programs can be written using any standard third-party text editor.
GFA-Basic Legacy: Its syntax is highly inspired by GFA-Basic, a highly popular language used on the Atari ST in the late 1980s and 1990s. Legacy Atari GFA programs can often run in X11-Basic with minimal modifications.
Advanced Math Support: It uniquely supports complex numbers, complex math, linear algebra, and arbitrary big integer arithmetic.
Pocket Calculator Mode: The interpreter allows users to type in commands and mathematical formulas directly from the command line for instant evaluation.
No Object-Oriented Bloat: It avoids complex object-oriented structures, making it highly accessible for beginners, hobbyists, and QBasic/DOS programmers. Compilation and Execution Tools
The ecosystem includes a versatile pipeline for running and deploying code:
xbasic: The core, fast interpreter that can double as a shell to execute basic-scripts (such as web-handling .cgi scripts).
xbc: A pseudo-compiler that packages programs into standalone executable binaries for rapid execution.
xbbc & xbvm: A bytecode compiler (xbbc) and virtual machine (xbvm) that let you run platform-independent compiled code.
xb2c: A translator tool that converts the compiled bytecode directly into C source code for further integration. Cross-Platform Availability
X11-Basic is highly portable and supports a surprisingly diverse array of hardware and operating systems: X11-Basic: BASIC for UNIX
Leave a Reply