PicBasic Pro for Tokens as Basic Stamp ???

[micropar]

Hi all,

1) Is it possible for PicBasic Pro to generate Tokens that can be executed later on just like Basic Stamp?
2) Is it possible to extend the Basic language of PicBasic Pro to accommodate User's Keywords or Basic Subroutines that will be running PicBasic Pro Keywords instead of ASM machine code routines that Pic Basic Pro generate and save it into PICmicro flash?

As you all know, Basic Stamp IDE convert User's Basic statements into tokens which gets loaded into BASIC Stamp's serial, external E2PROM and later on executed in sequence (interpreted technically) when User's send run command or reset the Basic Stamp which on reset start with interpreting and executing tokens found in e2prom, saved in earlier sessions.

I wanted to do similar to Basic Stamp, but as Basic Stamp tokens are proprietary, and not disclosed, I will use PicBasic Pro (which is Basic Stamp's language syntax compatible compiler, directly generating PICmicro machine codes instead of Basic Tokens) to compile my Basic statements programs and then want to generate a series of Tokens that will calls those machine code routines and statements sequentially and executing it. In nutshell, I will be Emulating Basic Stamp using PicBasic Pro compiling capabilities to execute my custom keywords as my Basic language extension.

My idea here is to developed End-user's extensible, programmable products that have built-in BASIC interpreter (capable of running my own, extended Basic language syntax) but modifying product's firmware software according to his taste.

Can any one help?

Thanks in advance,

Regards,
--micropar--

[bluex]

Why to develop such product ? there exists already Basic Stamp and PicBASIC (not the compiler, but the chip programmable in basic) with does not cost a lot and are reliable and have every command we need for serial IO and PWM and LCD.

[micropar]

Hi bluex,

Thanks for reply and suggestions.

I have already given reason for above such development needed, in my last 4th paragraph. I wanted to developed programmable products that too,  programmable by buyers (end-users) of my products, with world's easiest English type programming language: BASIC.

Btw, Basic Stamp is not cheap, costing nearly 4 times than its PICmicro even in bulk quantity. Also, its Basic language is not user's extensible.

I don't know about PicBasic. Where it is available?

Thanks in advance,

Regards,
--micropar--

[bluex]

PicBASIC modules are produced by Comfile Technology. They produce also some nice PLC products. Their PicBASIC modules have a basic language interpreter as complete as Pic Basic Pro from meLabs.    www.comfile.co.kr 

"...its Basic language is not user's extensible."  What do you ever need in Basic StampII and not found to try to add commands by yourself?

[micropar]

Hi Bluex,

Thanks for info on Comfile.kr.

"...its Basic language is not user's extensible."  What do you ever need in Basic StampII and not found to try to add commands by yourself?

You haven't still understood me. Let me give you an example. Let say, I am developing Alarm clock using Basic Stamp. If its language is extensible than I will first declare some global variables like seconds, minutes, hours and some user's accessible variable v1, v2, v3, etc. Then, I will declare some my own command like AlarmOn, AlarmOff etc etc which will, let say, control relay or buzzer. Now end user's of my Alarm clock can create various Alarm timers, variable length snooze effects etc etc according to his habit and taste using same BASIC STAMP language syntax.

Here, you save lots of development tools to be create yourself, not affordable now days for small alarm clock type projects. End-users can simply use BASIC Stamp's IDE, download his basic programs to e2prom. My alarm clock on first run, check whether any addition extensible Basic code also need to run and do so on every loop of my original Basic Stamp program. You see, I don't have to disclosed my Basic Stamp programs but only need to disclose some variables and my new Basic extensible commands.

Idea is similar to how you use third party library with your C compiler. Library Writer gives you code in Object format, Header files but not its source code. You use that object files along with your algorithms and C statements to create your own programs. You never need to know source code of Library but only need to know how and what library functions do.

I welcome some more suggestions on these.

Thanks in advance,

Regards,
--micropar--

[bluex]

I understand now. It's more clear for me. Why do not create only libraries for mikrobasic or mikropascal and sell them to your customers? with these compilers I think you can compile libraries and give them to users to link them with their own sources?
or why not create a compiler with all the stuff you want to add?

[micropar]

Hi Bluex,

Thanks for understanding me now, my friend.

I understand now. It's more clear for me. Why do not create only libraries for mikrobasic or mikropascal and sell them to your customers? with these compilers I think you can compile libraries and give them to users to link them with their own sources?

No, its un-economical or un-affordable. Simply because, all the tools you mentioned are for professional use. Since we have been using these tools for quite long time, we didn't estimated its time and cost for learning by newcomer.

Why any newcomer or layman, not from programming field, will ever learn mikroC just to program $5 or $10 gadgets? It will be more natural or fun for him to program in Basic with English language like syntax then to cryptic C programming. These are the main reasons for BASIC survival till today and prominent reasons for success of Bill Gate (World's richest person today, due to his early development with BASIC interpretor for APPLE II) and Parallax (creator of BASIC STAMP). Their success keyword is: Simplicity. Obtained from BASIC language products selling.

or why not create a compiler with all the stuff you want to add?

I had created and decoded BASIC STAMP I tokens earlier. But due to lack of time, I didn't able to spend time to create my own IDE and BASIC Interpreter. By the time I do that, BASIC STAMP II was out. Parallax totally changed its token codes, Language Syntax and I had to spend time again for its decoding, all alone from scratch. Recently, I saw PIC Basic Pro and amazed with its compiling speed and code generation capability. Hence I refreshed my old idea again to see any possibilities or alternative.

I hope for more comments on these.

Thanks in advance,

Regards,
--micropar--