# Simple free BASIC interface **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 24, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665 "2009-03-24T23:56:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/1 "2009-03-24T23:56:58Z")
Where can I find a simple BASIC interface? I last used QBasic about 15 years ago. All I want is something simple that I can put in a few If…then and For…Next routines, and then run it to enable me to work out a few things. I don’t want to have to learn a new language, I don’t want to use a compiler, and I don’t want anything complicated. I tried downloading a copy of Qbasic, which would be great except there’s no way to type Ctrl-Break on my new laptop, and so I can’t break the program. I tried looking for something simple though Google, and it’s a minefield of complicated jargon I don’t understand. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/2 "2009-03-25T00:07:38Z")
An interface between what and what? Oh, you mean a BASIC interpreter. OK. What kind of laptop do you have? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/3 "2009-03-25T00:09:09Z")
Well, here’s an online one written in Java. It lets you break via a menu. [ReadyBASIC](http://www.readybasic.com/) Are you sure you can’t Ctrl-Pause on your laptop, even using a function key? That sounds like something only Dell would do with their minis… ---
**Author:** ![OOPSIE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eada6e/32.png) [@OOPSIE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OOPSIE)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/4 "2009-03-25T00:12:28Z")
[http://www.ngbasic.com/](http://www.ngbasic.com/) That’s a version of basic that works through your browser. It’s early in development, but maybe it’ll do what you want [http://www.freebasic.net/](http://www.freebasic.net/) This is the basic I use. I downloaded FBIDE to help me program using it. It’s pretty easy. I hope either of those helps. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/5 "2009-03-25T00:17:12Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Well, here’s an online one written in Java. It lets you break via a menu. > > [ReadyBASIC](http://www.readybasic.com/) > > Are you sure you can’t Ctrl-Pause on your laptop, even using a function key? That sounds like something only Dell would do with their minis… Thanks, it’s better than nothing but I’d prefer something on my hard drive. I have a Dell Inspiron 1525. If you can tell me where to find a Ctrl-Break equivalent on that that would be superb. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/6 "2009-03-25T00:18:42Z")
> [@OOPSIE](#): > > [http://www.ngbasic.com/](http://www.ngbasic.com/) > > That’s a version of basic that works through your browser. It’s early in development, but maybe it’ll do what you want > > [http://www.freebasic.net/](http://www.freebasic.net/) > > This is the basic I use. I downloaded FBIDE to help me program using it. It’s pretty easy. > > I hope either of those helps. Already downloaded Freebasic, and deleted it because I couldn’t understand how to get the damn thing to work. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/7 "2009-03-25T00:34:18Z")
[VICE](http://www.viceteam.org/) has a complete C64/C16/VIC20 and more emulator which all include BASIC. But if you want something more generally useful on a windows machine (I’m just assuming stuff here) you may want to investigate Microsoft Visual Basic. [There’s an up to date, free version of VB from Microsoft](http://www.microsoft.com/Express/VB/) but I haven’t tried it. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/8 "2009-03-25T00:36:39Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > [VICE](http://www.viceteam.org/) has a complete C64/C16/VIC20 and more emulator which all include BASIC. But if you want something more generally useful on a windows machine (I’m just assuming stuff here) you may want to investigate Microsoft Visual Basic. [There’s an up to date, free version of VB from Microsoft](http://www.microsoft.com/Express/VB/) but I haven’t tried it. Already downloaded Visual Basic, and deleted it because I couldn’t understand how to get the damn thing to work. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/9 "2009-03-25T00:38:11Z")
I still have QBASIC, sitting on my hard drive. Email me. Edit: Oh, I see you tried that already. Call me crazy, but doesn’t CTRL-C break the program execution? Edit 2: I’m not crazy. It does. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/10 "2009-03-25T00:39:23Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > I have a Dell Inspiron 1525. If you can tell me where to find a Ctrl-Break equivalent on that that would be superb. If your keyboard looks like [this](http://blog.slickdeals.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/keyboard.jpg), push either CTRL-FN-INSERT or CTRL-FN-DELETE (both are in the upper right, and I’m not sure which one Qbasic likes). The light blue text means it’s activated with the Fn key. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/11 "2009-03-25T00:39:55Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > Already downloaded Visual Basic, and deleted it because I couldn’t understand how to get the damn thing to work. Well, what is it you want it to **do**? I’m pretty sure you can get an old QBasic (or equivalent) variant to work in DOS. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/12 "2009-03-25T00:50:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Edit: Oh, I see you tried that already. Call me crazy, but doesn’t CTRL-C break the program execution? > > * * * > > If your keyboard looks like this, push either CTRL-FN-INSERT or CTRL-FN-DELETE (both are in the upper right, and I’m not sure which one Qbasic likes). The light blue text means it’s activated with the Fn key. Tried all 3 and nothing. > [@](#): > > Well, what is it you want it to do? I’m pretty sure you can get an old QBasic (or equivalent) variant to work in DOS. All I want to do is type a few simple lines of BASIC and get it to run a program. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/13 "2009-03-25T01:34:04Z")
If your program enters a nonterminating loop, you can still break execution by including a line such as: IF INKEY$ = "X’ THEN STOP somewhere in the loop logic. Then you just press “X” when you want to end it. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/14 "2009-03-25T01:35:28Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > Tried all 3 and nothing. > > All I want to do is type a few simple lines of BASIC and get it to run a program. At the risk of stating the obvious, couldn’t you write your program so that you wouldn’t have to CTRL-Break it? ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/15 "2009-03-25T01:36:17Z")
There probably is some way to type ctrl-break on your keyboard, probably ctrl-Fn-something, but I haven’t been able to find a good picture of it to tell. If all else fails, you could plug in a USB keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/16 "2009-03-25T01:47:11Z")
Or use a keyboard remapping program, though I don’t know how well they work with control keys and such. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/17 "2009-03-25T01:59:09Z")
You could download AppleWin and write quick basic programs in the old Apple II. Simple interface, interpreted. Uses line numbers, though, so can be a pain to edit. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/18 "2009-03-25T02:15:25Z")
If you are not using Vista you can still use QBASIC. Screw compiling! It runs so freaking fast on modern processors that I’ve written programs that finished so fast that I thought they hadn’t run at all! ---
**Author:** ![OOPSIE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eada6e/32.png) [@OOPSIE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OOPSIE)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/19 "2009-03-25T10:49:05Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > Already downloaded Freebasic, and deleted it because I couldn’t understand how to get the damn thing to work. Redownload and install Freebasic Then from the same website, download and install FBIDE Run FBIDE. Tell FBIDE where Freebasic is installed Now go to “File” then click “New” Type this while inkey$=“” print “Hello World” wend Then press F9 Save the file somewhere, and enjoy ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665/20 "2009-03-25T11:20:47Z")
> [@PatriotGrrrl](#): > > There probably is some way to type ctrl-break on your keyboard, probably ctrl-Fn-something, but I haven’t been able to find a good picture of it to tell. From the pictures I found, it looks like Break is Fn+Delete on that laptop. However, **Reply** already suggested Ctrl+Fn+Delete, and apparently it didn’t work. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-basic-interface/490665.md?page=2)