YES, YOU'RE RIGHT !! That is where my .BAS files are hidden !! WHY wouldn't they show up in 'Search?'
BUT, ONE PROBLEM, still... I'm attaching all 5 .BAS files of mine.TWO of them are fine and open as readable text files using Notepad, but OTHERS do not! COUNT.BAS, HEREIAM.BAS, and TESTING.BAS do NOT open as readable text with Notepad !! Why on earth should they be different? The 3 afore mentiolned .BAS files open as "gibberesh." All 5 files have a .BAS extension and ALL were created within pcbasic. Why should some be readable text and the others not?
We are closing in on a solution, maybe? One more problem to SOLVE! :)
I tried writing a trivial.bas prog and ran it in pcbasic's DOS window. It ran fine, as you can see? I saved it using the name "progtest." However, the prog does NOT save as a readable text file! It reads in Notepad as "gibberesh" and therefore it is useless as a "saved" .bas file as it is uneditable. I am attaching it. Also, I cannot LIST progtest.bas inside of pcbasic. I get a "syntax error."
I also saved the prog as "progtest2" and, guess what? I got an "OK" on that 9 character file name being SAVED, but it did NOT appear in the Windows folder where all the .BAS are being saved, i.e. the folder YOU found! In pcbasic, I can SAVE and RUN the prog with the 9-character name but it will not show up in the 'save folder.' I guess pcbasic follows the old DOS convention allowing a maximum of 8 characters in the name, BUT Windows does not. The file is saved but HIDDEN somewhere else!
If you want the programs to go somewhere else than in the VirtualStore you could change the 'Start in' field in the properties of the start menu shortcut you use to where you want the programs to go. For some reason it seems that field has been set to the Program Files folder, which is not the right location.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
You are RIGHT! In some cases I pressed F4 on my keyboard to SAVE. That brought up SAVE". I then typed a prog name. I thought the F4 key was for saving? I made the assumption that the F4 key would ADD in a trailing "A, itself? Instead of using F4 I tried just TYPING in, in its entirety, SAVE"TRY",A and the few lines of simple code were saved in text format. Yay !!
In regard the "the start menu shortcut you use to where you want the programs to go" above. I NEVER created a "start menu shortcut" for the program; the PC-BASIC" install routine" did THAT. I was never ASKED, during "install," WHERE I wanted the ,bas programs to be saved. :) The install routine picked a location so hidden that M$ 'Search' could not even find them.
The "shortcut" set up by the install routine for me was "C:\Users\Linda\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\PC-BASIC". Why did the install routine do THAT? Why didn't it use just "C:\Users\Linda" or just ASK me where to save the files ? :)
How do I change the path to where I want pcbasic to store my .bas files? Changing the line above would do nothing as the program would continue to store them in that hidden location. I would LOVE to change it from where it is NOW to C:/Ussers/Linda or somewhere ELSE. :)
Thank you so much for helping! Hopefully, after all this, other Users running Win 10 will be able to use PC-BASIC ! :) It is a wonderful tool!
Linda,
P.S. If you, or others reading this, use SECOND LIFE, the 3D virtual on-line world, which has 13 million Users worldwide, my name THERE is River Song (aka Linda Latte) Come visit me, huh?
Last edit: Linda Latte 2018-02-24
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I'm not saying you created a shortcut, but there is a shortcut.
I don't know why youre so upset at the 'install routine'. It does't 'pick a location'. It sets the 'start in' field to your home directory, i.e. 'c:\users\linda'. For some reason that didn't work on your computer, and it seems it was set to the start menu folder, which is protected by Windows against changes, so that it sent the files to the VirtualStore.
If you want to change where the programs go, you need to change the location in the 'Start in' field to where you want the files to go, as I explained in my previous post.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
The reason I mention the "install routine" is because I had no choice in the choice of WHERE the files are stored.; PC-BASIC, when installed, via the install routine, CHOSE it, not me. :)
As you mention, the files SHOULD have gone to c:\users\linda, but didn't. What 'shortcut' do I change? i have a shortcut to start pcbasic, and now a 2nd one to get to that virtual store location where the files were put during the install. Do I change the pcbasic "shortcut" or the "virtual store" shortcut? If neither, then what?
You did mention making such a change in your earlier post, yes, but did not say WHAT shortcut to change? How do I TELL the program where my files should go in a way it will understand?
Thank you, Linda
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Sunday February 25 2018, 6:04 AM
Tuesday February 27 2018, 8:26 AM
Good Morning Rob,
Here are my 2 shortcuts:
SHORTCUT #1
Here is the shortcut I use to bring up the pcbasic DOS window:
Shortcut Title = pcbasic.exe - Shortcut Properties
Target = "C:\Program Files (x86)\PC-BASIC\pcbasic.exe"
Start in = "C:\Program Files (x86)\PC-BASIC"
SHORTCUT #2
Here is the shortcut I use to bring up the place where the .bas files are stored:
Shortcut Title = PC-BASIC - .BAS FILE Properties
Target = "C:\Users\Linda\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\PC-BASIC"
Start in = NONE
Which ONE of the 2 "shortcuts I have do I change, and HOW?
I assume the TARGET in one of them needs changing? Which one and what is changed or added to get the ,bas files where they are supposed to be: C:\Users\Linda ??
Is it possible the NEW shortcut may be?
NEW SHORTCUT #2
Target = "C:\Users\Linda"
Start in = "C:\Program Files (x86)\PC-BASIC"
This tells Win 10 to begin creating a place for the .bas files inside PC-BASIC, BUT BUT, HOW is Win 10 to KNOW that the .bas files are found there, (if they are there), and then MOVED to "C:\Users\Linda" ?? I just do not understand HOW this works?
It is hard to believe that the ABOVE "NEW SHORTCUT" would put .bas files where they should be? Is the above correct, OR ??
If the above is WRONG, what is the correct text to use in "Target" and "Start in" ??
I can't imagine that very many Users of Win 10 "out there" who may want to use pcbasic.exe have any idea HOW to do the above either? I don't think I'm alone. :)
I also can't PRINT anything from PC-BASIC using win 10. :( I've tried 3 different ways, and none worked. #1 With try.bas loaded I pressed F6. #2 I tried "try,"LPT1 and #3 I tried LPT1=PRINTER:Brother MFC-495CW Printer. :(
I thought, according to the documentation, that PC-BASIC is supposed to use the DEFAULT printer? It doesn't in Win 10. This is sad. :(
Thank you for helping,
Linda
Last edit: Linda Latte 2018-02-27
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
If you're looking for more information on how shortcuts work in your operating system, please consult the OS's documentation or look on the internet - I won't be able to help you with that, I'm not a Windows expert. You may need to experiment a bit and see what works for you.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Perhaps you should change the 'advertisements' for PC-BASIC, or other documentation, and remove, (or modify), the line that says: "It runs on every platform that supports Python." My Win 10 'platform' HAS python installed and it is used daily, and is why I installed PC-BASIC.
I finally DID locate where the install routine had hidden my .bas files, but ONLY with YOUR help, and weeks of effort. However, it seems my also needing to "print" from PC-BASIC to my PC's printer, using LPT1, is now a new, and totally unforseen, challenge.
Windows10 Users worldwide, who may like to use your program could be saved weeks of frustration if they were advised, up-front, that using PC-BASIC on Win 10 is "problematical." :) But, and this is an unknown, I'm using the very NEWEST Win10 called the "Fall Creators Edition." It is identified, formally, as: "Win 10 Home, Version 1709, and OS Build 16299.192" Maybe earlier versions of Win 10 may work? Who knows?
THANK YOU for trying SO hard to HELP! You did good! :)
Sincerely, Linda
Last edit: Linda Latte 2018-02-28
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
As a suggestion, why not add "VIRTUAL BOX," to your LINUX PC? It is FREE and will let you then install the newest M$ Win 10 to it? THEN you can try installing PC-BASIC in it and find the failures in the installer routine, like WHY the .bas files are stored in the wrong place, and WHY you cannot print from the PC printer?
I sure would like to know WHY I cannot use PC-BASIC properly, as, I think, would 100's of other Users of the most popular operating system in the world. :) Win 10 is THAT, whether we like it or not. :( Sad to say.
Thank you,
Linda
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
However, I can't reproduce your problem and until a third person can reproduce this, I'm not going to spend anymore time on this issue.
If hundreds of users indeed have the same problem, I hope they will report it as that may help find a solution. At this stage I've done for you what I can, I've spent an amount of my spare time solving your problem that is well beyond the reasonable and I will now let it rest here.
Rob
Last edit: Rob Hagemans 2018-03-04
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Friday February 23 2018, 12:12 PM
Hi Rob,
YES, YOU'RE RIGHT !! That is where my .BAS files are hidden !! WHY wouldn't they show up in 'Search?'
BUT, ONE PROBLEM, still... I'm attaching all 5 .BAS files of mine.TWO of them are fine and open as readable text files using Notepad, but OTHERS do not! COUNT.BAS, HEREIAM.BAS, and TESTING.BAS do NOT open as readable text with Notepad !! Why on earth should they be different? The 3 afore mentiolned .BAS files open as "gibberesh." All 5 files have a .BAS extension and ALL were created within pcbasic. Why should some be readable text and the others not?
We are closing in on a solution, maybe? One more problem to SOLVE! :)
Thank you, Linda
Last edit: Linda Latte 2018-02-23
Friday February 23 2018, 12:29 PM
Hi Rob,
I tried writing a trivial.bas prog and ran it in pcbasic's DOS window. It ran fine, as you can see? I saved it using the name "progtest." However, the prog does NOT save as a readable text file! It reads in Notepad as "gibberesh" and therefore it is useless as a "saved" .bas file as it is uneditable. I am attaching it. Also, I cannot LIST progtest.bas inside of pcbasic. I get a "syntax error."
I also saved the prog as "progtest2" and, guess what? I got an "OK" on that 9 character file name being SAVED, but it did NOT appear in the Windows folder where all the .BAS are being saved, i.e. the folder YOU found! In pcbasic, I can SAVE and RUN the prog with the 9-character name but it will not show up in the 'save folder.' I guess pcbasic follows the old DOS convention allowing a maximum of 8 characters in the name, BUT Windows does not. The file is saved but HIDDEN somewhere else!
This is SO weird!
Regards, Linda
To save as readable text you need to use
SAVE "FILENAME",A. You should indeed use 8-character names, it will ignore everything after the eighth character. This is as expected, and not a Windows problem. See also http://robhagemans.github.io/pcbasic/doc/#SAVE and http://robhagemans.github.io/pcbasic/doc/#filespecIf you want the programs to go somewhere else than in the
VirtualStoreyou could change the 'Start in' field in the properties of the start menu shortcut you use to where you want the programs to go. For some reason it seems that field has been set to the Program Files folder, which is not the right location.Saturday February 24 2018, 5:13 AM
Hi Rob.
You are RIGHT! In some cases I pressed F4 on my keyboard to SAVE. That brought up SAVE". I then typed a prog name. I thought the F4 key was for saving? I made the assumption that the F4 key would ADD in a trailing "A, itself? Instead of using F4 I tried just TYPING in, in its entirety, SAVE"TRY",A and the few lines of simple code were saved in text format. Yay !!
In regard the "the start menu shortcut you use to where you want the programs to go" above. I NEVER created a "start menu shortcut" for the program; the PC-BASIC" install routine" did THAT. I was never ASKED, during "install," WHERE I wanted the ,bas programs to be saved. :) The install routine picked a location so hidden that M$ 'Search' could not even find them.
The "shortcut" set up by the install routine for me was "C:\Users\Linda\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\PC-BASIC". Why did the install routine do THAT? Why didn't it use just "C:\Users\Linda" or just ASK me where to save the files ? :)
How do I change the path to where I want pcbasic to store my .bas files? Changing the line above would do nothing as the program would continue to store them in that hidden location. I would LOVE to change it from where it is NOW to C:/Ussers/Linda or somewhere ELSE. :)
Thank you so much for helping! Hopefully, after all this, other Users running Win 10 will be able to use PC-BASIC ! :) It is a wonderful tool!
Linda,
P.S. If you, or others reading this, use SECOND LIFE, the 3D virtual on-line world, which has 13 million Users worldwide, my name THERE is River Song (aka Linda Latte) Come visit me, huh?
Last edit: Linda Latte 2018-02-24
I'm not saying you created a shortcut, but there is a shortcut.
I don't know why youre so upset at the 'install routine'. It does't 'pick a location'. It sets the 'start in' field to your home directory, i.e. 'c:\users\linda'. For some reason that didn't work on your computer, and it seems it was set to the start menu folder, which is protected by Windows against changes, so that it sent the files to the
VirtualStore.If you want to change where the programs go, you need to change the location in the 'Start in' field to where you want the files to go, as I explained in my previous post.
Saturday February 24 2018, 3:11 PM
Hi Rob,
The reason I mention the "install routine" is because I had no choice in the choice of WHERE the files are stored.; PC-BASIC, when installed, via the install routine, CHOSE it, not me. :)
As you mention, the files SHOULD have gone to c:\users\linda, but didn't. What 'shortcut' do I change? i have a shortcut to start pcbasic, and now a 2nd one to get to that virtual store location where the files were put during the install. Do I change the pcbasic "shortcut" or the "virtual store" shortcut? If neither, then what?
You did mention making such a change in your earlier post, yes, but did not say WHAT shortcut to change? How do I TELL the program where my files should go in a way it will understand?
Thank you, Linda
You change it in the shortcut that goes to PC-BASIC, the one you mentioned to me before.
Sunday February 25 2018, 6:04 AM
Tuesday February 27 2018, 8:26 AM
Good Morning Rob,
Here are my 2 shortcuts:
SHORTCUT #1
Here is the shortcut I use to bring up the pcbasic DOS window:
Shortcut Title = pcbasic.exe - Shortcut Properties
Target = "C:\Program Files (x86)\PC-BASIC\pcbasic.exe"
Start in = "C:\Program Files (x86)\PC-BASIC"
SHORTCUT #2
Here is the shortcut I use to bring up the place where the .bas files are stored:
Shortcut Title = PC-BASIC - .BAS FILE Properties
Target = "C:\Users\Linda\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\PC-BASIC"
Start in = NONE
Which ONE of the 2 "shortcuts I have do I change, and HOW?
I assume the TARGET in one of them needs changing? Which one and what is changed or added to get the ,bas files where they are supposed to be: C:\Users\Linda ??
Is it possible the NEW shortcut may be?
NEW SHORTCUT #2
Target = "C:\Users\Linda"
Start in = "C:\Program Files (x86)\PC-BASIC"
This tells Win 10 to begin creating a place for the .bas files inside PC-BASIC, BUT BUT, HOW is Win 10 to KNOW that the .bas files are found there, (if they are there), and then MOVED to "C:\Users\Linda" ?? I just do not understand HOW this works?
It is hard to believe that the ABOVE "NEW SHORTCUT" would put .bas files where they should be? Is the above correct, OR ??
If the above is WRONG, what is the correct text to use in "Target" and "Start in" ??
I can't imagine that very many Users of Win 10 "out there" who may want to use pcbasic.exe have any idea HOW to do the above either? I don't think I'm alone. :)
I also can't PRINT anything from PC-BASIC using win 10. :( I've tried 3 different ways, and none worked. #1 With try.bas loaded I pressed F6. #2 I tried "try,"LPT1 and #3 I tried LPT1=PRINTER:Brother MFC-495CW Printer. :(
I thought, according to the documentation, that PC-BASIC is supposed to use the DEFAULT printer? It doesn't in Win 10. This is sad. :(
Thank you for helping,
Linda
Last edit: Linda Latte 2018-02-27
Please see my previous post https://sourceforge.net/p/pcbasic/discussion/general/thread/f8a7bfee/?limit=25&page=1#0ab4 which has all the information you ask for.
If you're looking for more information on how shortcuts work in your operating system, please consult the OS's documentation or look on the internet - I won't be able to help you with that, I'm not a Windows expert. You may need to experiment a bit and see what works for you.
Wednesday February 28 2018, 5:12 AM
Hi Rob,
Perhaps you should change the 'advertisements' for PC-BASIC, or other documentation, and remove, (or modify), the line that says: "It runs on every platform that supports Python." My Win 10 'platform' HAS python installed and it is used daily, and is why I installed PC-BASIC.
I finally DID locate where the install routine had hidden my .bas files, but ONLY with YOUR help, and weeks of effort. However, it seems my also needing to "print" from PC-BASIC to my PC's printer, using LPT1, is now a new, and totally unforseen, challenge.
Windows10 Users worldwide, who may like to use your program could be saved weeks of frustration if they were advised, up-front, that using PC-BASIC on Win 10 is "problematical." :) But, and this is an unknown, I'm using the very NEWEST Win10 called the "Fall Creators Edition." It is identified, formally, as: "Win 10 Home, Version 1709, and OS Build 16299.192" Maybe earlier versions of Win 10 may work? Who knows?
THANK YOU for trying SO hard to HELP! You did good! :)
Sincerely, Linda
Last edit: Linda Latte 2018-02-28
Sunday March 4 2018, 8:50 AM
Hi Rob,
As a suggestion, why not add "VIRTUAL BOX," to your LINUX PC? It is FREE and will let you then install the newest M$ Win 10 to it? THEN you can try installing PC-BASIC in it and find the failures in the installer routine, like WHY the .bas files are stored in the wrong place, and WHY you cannot print from the PC printer?
I sure would like to know WHY I cannot use PC-BASIC properly, as, I think, would 100's of other Users of the most popular operating system in the world. :) Win 10 is THAT, whether we like it or not. :( Sad to say.
Thank you,
Linda
Linda,
I have VirtualBox. This is how I run Windows.
However, I can't reproduce your problem and until a third person can reproduce this, I'm not going to spend anymore time on this issue.
If hundreds of users indeed have the same problem, I hope they will report it as that may help find a solution. At this stage I've done for you what I can, I've spent an amount of my spare time solving your problem that is well beyond the reasonable and I will now let it rest here.
Rob
Last edit: Rob Hagemans 2018-03-04