FreeBASIC Compiler Reviews

Very good compiler. Cross-platform. Can make Windows DLL and Linux SO, without changes at all. Installed and configured in Windows with Geany editor.

FreeBASIC is a wonderful version of BASIC with excellent interoperability with C. The syntax is easy to learn and the compiler is easy to set up. I have set up FreeBASIC on four of my computers, 2 PC's running Win 11 and 2 PC's running Lubuntu. One, of course, has to be familiar with using the command line and setting up the PATH to the compiler. If one is looking for an easy to set up all-in-one solution for Windows with the compiler 'built-in', then look for WinFBE by Paul Squires on Github.

Somewhat compatible witn QBasic programs. Extremely slow for console I/O (PRINT TAB()).

There is no documentation other than a readme.txt, and the biggest problem I've found--and have had--is getting it to load and run. It's actually EASIER for me to recompile old programs using DosBox and QB45--as much as a pain as it is.

What is it? Can I get it to run on win8?

I made sure all the prereqs were installed on my Linux machine and then did the install. Get a bunch of errors on the hello.bas source supplied. Obviously not ready for a Linux environment.

Very good project : very useful

This compiler can be a very important 1st step to become programmer rather than simple MS Excel user with quick-basic built-int.

Nice FB2C++ convertor, just little help with main C dll and it is speed like direct written C. Without small help linked C dll support, is slower than JavaScript.

Very easy to learn and use, even for bigger projects.

First, in response to tespro below, large serious compilers use lots of memory and the way to get that in DOS is by the DPMI service (whatever that is) that makes high memory available to programs and data. Windows includes that and Linux/Unix makes high memory available, but DOS doesn't (FreeDOS does, I think). So a compiler like fbc or djgpp's gcc needs a DPMI add-on to work in pure DOS. It's available as one of the djgpp files from delorie.com, and I think it needs to be installed by the config.sys boot script. The instructions should be on the delorie website. I like to compile my own version of such projects and stash them in /usr/local, but I found a problem with compiling FreeBASIC. It wants ffi.h and I just built and installed libffi-3.2.1. The header wasn't found. I dug and found that this lib release installs ffi.h in an odd place. It makes a folder, /usr/lib/libffi-3.2.1/include and puts the two created headers there. I copied them to /usr/include and the compilation proceeded ok. Haven't tried the actual compiler. I think I'd rather have the entire package coded in a standard language like C or C++ instead of like Ada, with a component that must be built with self-compilation by a previous version. I'm also not seeing that there's a test suite to be run by "make check" to make sure everything's working correctly. That would inspire confidence in users who might want to use FreeBASIC for business and other serious purposes. Hey, I've built new versions of the GCC compilers a number of times, always fun to see a build run quite cleanly. Speaking of standards compliance, the program statement for i=1 to 4:print i;" ";:next should leave 3 spaces between the positive numbers. In testing various Basics, I've seen everything from 2 to 8 spaces between numbers. Standards compliance is kinda scarce in Basic. You wouldn't find that inaccuracy in a language implementation for grownups. I'm rating the fbc pages mediocre for hiding the source, and the rest of it is pretty good.

great project. I use the Windows/DOS/Linux and even ARM port. An excellent open source implementation of the venerable BASIC language, but now with Object Oriented features, and modern graphics, sound and other goodies.

Perfect compiler !

Been using this compiler for some years its really good BUT.... Down side "PNG FILES"! - And yes i looked at the forums and documentation, no success with resolving the png lib issue and some other 3-rd party libs (not all) seem to be problems with, keep getting errors, recently. Can't understand why the developer(s) won't just package fixed libs such AS; png lib(s) in the main release, when fixed, because license wise it would not be an issue. For higher than 8-bit graphics going to still stick with C++ and sdl, with the gcc, which i find far more less stressful and at ease compared to FreeBasic for my main projects. An other thing i notice for a long time not much tutorials on Open GL with this software, but again people may as well just use C++ and GULT. Overall would be great if the dev ADDED PNG LIB FIXED AND PACKAGED, IN THE NEXT RELEASE!

I decided to try the DOS version first since I've written many programs in GW-Basic. Even for DOS the down-load is huge - close to 20 meg. Then I tried to compile their simple "Hello.BAS" program: FBC /examples/hello.bas. The program response was: Load error: NO DPMI - Get csdpmi*b.zip. No thanks. I'm insufficiently motivated at this point to try the windows version. Perhaps other reviewers will change my mind.

This is not a simple BASIC compiler. It IS a fairly complete and robust programming language. It has many libraries to support extensions for most usual programming tasks. Not difficult interface to other languages (C, C++ for example). It is 32 bit, but can be installed into and programs run in 32 or 64 bit systems. You MUST read the install instructions. It is simple; not always instant. In Linux, you must understand how libraries work. Code produced is excellent. The language docs are not difficult to read. two biggest pluses: it is current - someone WILL fix a bad bug NOW if one is discovered. and ... HELP IS SIMPLY THE BEST. The community feels like a community. Someone will answer your question within 24 hrs. Trolls are RARE. Attitude is rarely condescending. They will not write your code for you. They will help.

Great project!

The instalation is a pain in the but. I spent so much time trying to install it. Just didn't work at all. Tried again and again for now its a bad review somebody help me and it might be a better review.

It was very good to find it. Awesome!!!)))

how can I get this on my windows 8 pc?

Most advanced basic compiler I ever use. OO and stable.

Easy to start. You don't have, like in most,most other languages, to be part of a society or corporation that would push you through mysteries of the medium. You can do something yourself, and it will be a real program. That was in Quick BASIC, and had passed to Free BASIC. (There are other like that: "QB64" language (but didn't try).) Of course that with a text editor, like "Fb-Edit", and the documentation: FB's CHM file, and WindowsAPI's HLP file. Even though that shortcoming, that the medium has to be added up, it's good. It has the statements to control the computer, and not only to swim in it, hoping to get something out.

Good tool. Thanks.

FBide makes a nice partner, very good for writing small apps, has enough utility to keep advanced programmers happy Its very fast, makes python look like a slug

The power C, the niceness of PASCAL, and the syntax of QBASIC : FreeBasic - inline asm, dos support, linux support, win32 support, un-official xbox support, great forum with hobists ready to answer your questions, good programs and games built with it .... What are you waiting for ?