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ABOUT
DOTBASIC PLUS
CLICK HERE FOR A SAMPLE
VIDEO TUTORIAL
WHAT
IS IT
If you are interested in BASIC programming for the C-64, then you
have probably used a BASIC Extension at some point. Most of us
are familiar with Commodore's
Simons' BASIC
cartridge.
Unfortunately, most of these extensions aren't very useful.
Simons' BASIC, for example, has a pretty lousy set of commands.
Many of them are basically (pun) useless. It's also a very
confusing set of commands -- there are no consistent conventions
used, making it necessary to constantly refer to the manual.
Further, a program written
with Simons' BASIC can only be run on a C-64 with a Simons' BASIC
cartridge. Pretty limiting.
DotBASIC Plus is similar to
other extensions in one way: you get a lot of new commands (or
DotCommands, of course) -- over 100 so far. But that's
where the similarities end.
THE
DOTCOMMANDS
100 new commands, with more being added
all the time. DotCommands all use a consistent, easy to
remember syntax: .command,parameters
So, the DotCommand that draws
a box on the screen is .BOX, the DotCommand that creates a scrolling
menu is .SCMENU, and so on. All the new commands work just
like regular BASIC commands. Click
HERE
to see the current list of DotCommands.
MODERN GUI WITH COMPLETE MOUSE / JOYSTICK SUPPORT
 With
DB+ you can create modern looking programs with just a few lines of
code. Your programs can have mouse support, complete with a
great looking 'arrow pointer', drop down menus, file requestors and
more. Go to the
DOWNLOAD section
of this site to get some DotBASIC games and other programs to try
out. You can "break" out of most of them by hitting RUN/STOP
and LIST them. You'll be amazed at how much can be done with
so little code.
TRANSPORTABLE
Your programs will run on any C-64.
Although everyone should own DB+, of course, you don't need to do
anything special to run a program written in DotBASIC.
DOTBASIC PLUS IS ALWAYS GROWING
With DotBASIC, you include the
DotCommands you need by creating REM statements at the top of your
program. If your program will use the commands .SPRITE, .SID,
.MENU, and .STASH, for example, you would add a line like this:
11 REM.SPRITE,.SID,.MENU,.STASH
As you are coding, you can
include new DotCommands as you need them by simply amending your
REM statements.
This method has two big
advantages. First, it makes your programs smaller.
Why waste all that RAM for 100 commands if you only need 5?
More importantly, it means that new DotCommands can easily be added
to your library. When new updates are released, simply add the
new files to your Library Disk and start using the new DotCommands.
WHAT DO I GET
FOR MY MONEY
DotBASIC Plus is two D81 disk images. The
Library Disk contains all the
DotCommands (so far). The Utility Disk is full of tools,
including a screen and font design program, a sprite editor, and
more. Click
HERE to take a closer look at what
is on the Utility Disk. You also get an 80 page manual. The
manual has a professional look, with detailed reference charts,
tutorials, screenshots and a complete index. Click
HERE to read a few pages, in PDF
form.
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