Free BASIC Compilers and Interpreters
Free Compilers/Interpreters for the BASIC Programming Language
Free BASIC Compilers and Interpreters
Listed here are some free BASIC compilers, interpreters, Visual Basic clones, and development environments (IDEs) which you can use to develop programs using the BASIC programming language. If you are looking for documentation or tutorials on learning or using the BASIC language, you may wish to check out the selection of books on BASIC programming available at Amazon.com.
Note that this page does not list commercial BASIC compilers and interpreters like IBasic Professional (a modern BASIC compiler) and Microsoft Visual Studio Professional (which includes Microsoft Visual BASIC).
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Disclaimer
The information provided on this page comes without any warranty whatsoever. Use it at your own risk. Just because a program, book, document or service is listed here or has a good review does not mean that I endorse or approve of the program or of any of its contents. All the other standard disclaimers also apply.
Free BASIC Compilers and Interpreters
- BaCon BASIC
BaCon BASIC is a BASIC to C translator for Unix-based systems (like Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, etc), which means that it takes your BASIC code and changes it into C source code. You will then need a C compiler to compile that code. At this time, the converter appears to be implemented using shell scripts, and you will need either the BASH or Korn shell to run it. (Note: if you are using Linux, chances are that you already have BASH somewhere on your system. I'm not sure about the other systems, though.)
- Free Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 Express
The Microsoft Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition is available for download, free of charge, from Microsoft. It allows you to create programs for the .NET framework. Like all the current versions of their software, you will need Windows 2000, XP, 2003, x64 or Vista. It comes with the MSDN Express Library and the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition. If you are looking for the complete Visual Basic package, you will need to buy the commercial Microsoft Visual Studio Professional.
- Vintage BASIC
Vintage BASIC is an interpreter with a language that is close to Microsoft's BASIC version 2 as found in the Commodore 64. It is "informed by (but [does] not always stick to) the ANSI Minimal BASIC standard (ANSI X.360-1978)" (as noted in its user guide). You can enter your program using a normal programmer's / text editor. If you are nostalgic for the old BASIC interpreters of bygone days, or simply want to learn to program in BASIC without having to master the event-driven, object-oriented and window/form-based programming metaphors present in many compilers today, this BASIC interpreter may interest you. The program works on Windows and Linux, and is open source.
- ThinBasic Basic Interpreter
ThinBasic is a BASIC interpreter for Windows that can be used to create and run BASIC applications on Windows as well as CGI scripts for a web server running in Windows. It supports the addition of DLLs (called modules here) that provide additional functionality, such as the Crypto module which adds cryptographic functions which you can call from your application, the SMTP, FTP, TCP modules which Internet-enables your applications, sound-playing modules, and so on.
- Chipmunk BASIC Interpreter
Chipmunk BASIC is a BASIC interpreter for the Mac and PowerMac. It includes support for AppleScript, Drag and Drop, graphics, sound, speech, etc. There are some preliminary versions for Linux (on x86), Windows 95/98/NT and SunOS.
- XBLite - xbasic BASIC lite compiler
xblite is the free, open source version of the XBasic compiler. It comes with the compiler, utilities, demos, source code and reference manual. It creates Win32 programs (GUI or console). You can also get free add-on DLLs for use with your program from the site (eg, DLLs for sending email via SMTP, to embed a web-browser from within your program, to load and save JPG, GIF, BMP, DIB, RLE, TGA, PCX image files, to create card games).
- Microsoft SmallBasic
Microsoft Small Basic (no relation to the other "Small Basic" listed elsewhere on this Free Basic Compilers page) is a small language with about 15 or so keywords designed to making it easy and "fun" for people learning to write computer programs. It uses and creates programs for the .NET framework and works on Windows Vista and XP. (In case you think it is something like the old BASIC interpreters that you grew up with in the days of DOS, CP/M and Apple II, it's not.) It comes with an IDE with what Microsoft calls Intellisense (an autocomplete facility that gives suggestions how you can complete your keywords/function calls as you type) and context sensitive help. They also have an incomplete (at the time I write this review) "Getting Started" guide that is written for the newcomer to programming. (It's incomplete in the sense that they haven't finished writing it -- there are whole sections that are just placeholders. But the portions that are currently ready look promising.)
- Gambas - Gambas Almost Means Basic
Gambas is a Basic development environment supporting the Basic programming language with object extensions. It includes an IDE, a BASIC compiler, an interpreter, an archiver and a graphical user interface component. The archiver combines all the files in your project into a single executable file. Although not intended to be a Visual Basic clone, it has a visual rapid application development interface like VB. Supported operating systems include Linux and FreeBSD, OpenBSD.
- TNT Basic
TNT Basic is a BASIC interpreter for the Macintosh. It is geared towards programmers who are creating games for the Macintosh. The development environment makes it easy for you to create and edit your code, add graphics and sprites to your program, sounds, music, maps, and define inputs for your game. TNT Basic works on Mac OS 8.6 and above (PowerPC Mac). At the time this brief review was written, full Mac OS X support is still under development.
- GLBCC - GNU / Liberty Basic Compiler Collection
The GNU Liberty Basic Compiler Collection allows Windows and Linux users to compile Liberty Basic code on those platforms. Unlike the original Liberty Basic, this compiler creates standalone native executables that do not rely on an external interpreter. GNU / LibertyBasic is open source and licensed under the GNU GPL and the GNU LGPL.
- Mono's VisualBasic.NET Compiler (Mono Visual Basic Compiler)
Mono is an open source cross-platform implementation of Microsoft's .NET Development Framework. It includes a VB compiler (VB.NET compiler/Visual Basic compiler that generates .NET virtual machine code, not native code) that was still under development at the time of this writing, a runtime for CLR (the Common Language Infrastructure) and a set of libraries. You can embed the runtime into your applications. Mono currently works on Linux (both x86 and PPC), Windows, S390, with work being carried on for Strong/ARM and SPARC.
- Blassic
Blassic is a Basic interpreter that was designed to run old Basic code, even those that use unusual control flow constructs, automodifiable code and PEEK and POKE instructions. It is released under the GNU GPL. Versions are available for Windows and Linux.
- FreeBASIC
FreeBASIC is an open source (GNU GPL) BASIC compiler that is syntax compatible with QuickBASIC, QBASIC, PDS and Visual Basic for DOS. It generates 32-bit executables that run under Windows and DOS. At the time this was written, the compiler is still very new, and has little documentation.
- Just BASIC
Just BASIC creates standalone programs from your BASIC source code. (I think it compiles to intermediate code which is then executed by an interpreter.) It supports functions, subprograms, control structures like DO/LOOP and SELECT/CASE, has a GUI builder, supports sprite animation, sound and music, and comes with a source level debugger.
- Basic4GL
Basic4GL is a BASIC compiler for Windows with built-in OpenGL 1.1 support. It automatically handles things like initialising OpenGL, opening an OpenGL window, etc, allowing you to get straight into writing OpenGL code. The language also has built-in support for vectors and matrices and you can perform mathematical operations on them (add, multiply) using vector and matrix notation algebra. Other features in Basic4GL include a 2D tile and sprite engine. The compiler generates intermediate code which is run by a virtual machine. The IDE comes with an integrated editor and debugger.
- wxBasic
wxBasic is a BASIC interpreter licensed under the GNU LGPL that runs on Windows and Linux. wxBasic code "looks a lot like QBasic". It has OpenGL support, among other things.
- SmallBASIC
SmallBASIC is a simple language "somewhere between QBASIC and GWBASIC" (from their website), designed to handle mathematics and graphics. It was designed to work on PalmOS, but also works on Linux, Win32 and MSDOS. It is released under the GNU GPL.
- MoonRock Compiler
This Basic-like language with extensions produces executables (binaries) for MSDOS real-mode or DPMI protected mode. It comes with the ArrowSoft assembler, documentation and sample programs. It does not seem like it's being maintained anymore.
- Mole BASIC Interpreter
Mole Basic, or Merty's Own Language Extension Basic, runs on Linux, AIX, Sun and BSD and comes in (C?) source code form which you can modify to extend the language. Binaries for Linux is also provided.
- Bas BASIC Interpreter
Bas is a Unix-based BASIC interpreter that first tokenises your source code internally, resolving references to variables and jump targets, before running it. It supports certain BBC BASIC extensions like procedures, local variables and "better exception handling".
- ScriptBasic BASIC Interpreter
This free BASIC interpreter works under Linux and Win32. It is distributed with its C source code under the GNU GPL and is extensible using dynamic load libraries (or shared libraries for Linux). It actually creates an intermediate pseudo code, which is then interpreted. The interpreter is designed to be thread-safe, and can be embedded into other programs or systems (like a web server). It has a CGI module, which allows it to be used for CGI programs, as well as modules for accessing databases.
- Envelop Basic Compiler
This clone of Visual Basic 3 supports various object oriented features like polymorphism, inheritance, encapsulation as well as Windows specific features like ODBC, OLE2 and MAPI. It is no longer supported but free. The link above points to a 7.3MB file. Needless to say (from our description), only the Windows platform is supported.
- XBASIC BASIC Compiler
This is a free BASIC compiler, integrated development environment, and debugger that runs on Windows 95/98 and NT, as well as Linux. You can actually write graphics and GUI programs that can be compiled by both the Windows and Linux versions without change your source code!
- Bywater BASIC Interpreter
This is a free BASIC interpreter that compiles and runs on Unix systems. It supports subsets of the ANSI Standard for Minimal BASIC and the ANSI Standard for Full BASIC. It has been re-released under the GNU GPL (I think it was in the public domain before) and supports MSDOS and POSIX systems (eg Unix, Linux, etc).
- BCX BASIC Compiler
BCX is a Win32 console mode program that translates a BASIC source file into C source code which can be compiled using LCC-Win32 (see our Free C/C++ Compilers page for more information about this free C compiler). It accepts a subset of modern BASIC, as well as extensions like user-defined functions and inline C code.
- Enhanced 6502 BASIC
Enhanced 6502 BASIC is a BASIC interpreter for 6502 (and compatible) microprocessors. It is free for non-commercial use (with certain conditions - read their site and documentation for details), and comes with source code.
- UBASIC BASIC Interpreter
UBASIC is a BASIC interpreter for MSDOS that supports multiprecision arithmetic, up to 2500 decimal digits. It has extensive support for maths functions and comes complete with a tutorial and a TSR online help.
- YABASIC BASIC Interpreter
YABASIC is a free BASIC interpreter (?) for Windows and a number of Unix systems. It comes with source code for the compiler. The web page notes that the interpreter implements "the most common and simple elements" of the language. This interpreter is no longer maintained.
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Free BASIC Compilers and Interpreters
