Hi Paul, you are needed at the PB forum

[Cho Sing Kum]

http://www.powerbasic.com/support/pbforums/showthread.php?p=342479#post342479

Post #28

PB to Firefly

Can Firefly 3 convert PB code ?

[Paul Squires]

Thanks for the heads up. I rarely post over there on those forums anymore.

With regard to "PB to Firefly", I assume the poster is implying DDT->FF code conversions. Basically, the answer is: No, FireFly does not convert DDT code. It never has and never will. I have no interest in writing such a converter nor do I see it as a being beneficial to the FireFly user base.

I read another post there from some guy who does not know how to add a control to a form. I guess that he has never used a visual design type of tool before. I guess that I put the explanation in the wrong place in the Help file (FireFly Workspace/Tools):

There are several ways to add a control from the Tools to an existing Form. You could "double click" on the Tool name and a default sized control will appear on the Form after which you can drag into place via using the mouse.

Alternatively, you can "draw" the control on the Form. You do this by clicking once on the Tool name to select it and then move your mouse cursor to the upper left corner where you want your control to be placed. You hold down the left mouse button and create a rectangle that represents the size of the control that will be created once you release pressing the left mouse button.

Another way of creating new controls is to copy and paste one of more existing controls onto the Form. When you do this you will be presented with a message box asking whether to create a Control Array.

[Roger Garstang]

I like lead balloons. A DDT converter is far better then the DDT Designers sold with heavy advertising lately. At least a converter would allow for the code to have been possibly made in PB Forms. Making it read Forms files would in my opinion make Bob happy since they wouldn't have to develop PB Forms into something like FF...which it never will become as slow as they make additions to it. It isn't replacing it, but adding to its value which has been dropping.

[Cho Sing Kum]

Hi Paul,

It's OK. I just posted replies there as if my own without giving the impression you rarely post there anymore.

I sense some ...mmm... in your reply and I think I know why and I fully understand. I have followed the EZ threads there since sometime ago. I too get irritated by his ways.

I also think the PB staff's replies tend to be curt, except for Steve.

Speaking of Steve, his is the type I see often here and over at PureBasic forum. Like here, there are really more peer friendly.

I am taking a second look at PureBasic. I like the idea that 32 and 64 bits are already available for both Windows and Linux and even can compile for Mac OS X and PowerPC. I do regularly have prospects asking whether my programs would run on those OSes and I would lose their orders.

It is helpful that a previously commercial book as well as the Reference manual are available for free download in print-ready PDF files. This helps starters a long way. It is easier to read away from the computer.

I remember in the previous FF2 forum, you mentioned something link you were getting more queries from PureBasic users but I was not able to find that. I found this instead:

http://www.planetsquires.com/protect/forum/index.php?topic=1343.msg11335#msg11335

Do you still have a FF plan for PureBasic?

The reason I ask is that the included Visual Designer is not that up to the mark. I think the users there are hoping for a better one.

[Paul Squires]

Thanks Cho for posting those replies.

...(removed my rant)...   

So, as you can see, I have some issues that bug me these days. 

So, a DDT to FF convertor....yeah, not going to happen.

I don't presently have a plan for PureBasic but I can tell you that I do have a 100% working version of FireFly for FreeBASIC. Just waiting for the right time to release it.

(Edit: May 7/2010 to remove my frustrating rant. Happy that I got it out of my system - makes me feel better having shared).

[Paul Squires]

I haven't looked at PureBasic in a long, long time. I wouldn't even know where to start. FreeBasic was much easier for me because I had used that language a fair amount over the past couple of years and the winapi syntax is very similar to the PB format. In addition to the asm emitter, I believe that they're now back to working on the C emitter which should allow for some great optimized code via the gnu c compiler.

Having said that, I don't want to stretch myself too thin by supporting too many languages that have somewhat small user bases. Supporting any software product is a full time job. 

[Roger Garstang]

Wow, this thread took a crazy turn. It is actually interesting though as a couple days ago I was trying to optimize some sites and searching Google for keywords and happened to search for my name...which I hadn't done in a while. It keeps pretty up to date.  I saw some google news group thread that mentioned my name and a bunch of other people talking about the Pyxia issue and Bob banning everyone. The thread they had quoted of mine though wasn't even related to me getting banned a few years back, but about people posting ads from other forums saying to go to their forum from PB to sign up there and download, etc.  My banning issue was the same time and problem as Wayne Diamond and a bunch of others that complained about a PBforms bug fix that was being charged for. At the time it was so bad I had to get someone else to buy me PBforms1.5 so I had a working DDT editor, then Bob offered a refund for those that didn't feel it was worth paying for...but the people he had banned he had sent emails to that they would not get anything from PB, etc.

Most finally got allowed to come back after many heated emails and others asking where they were (some chose to stay away though). We are watched very close though and he probably has an email notification for posts from many. Recently there was the FileOpen Dialog bug, and while on Beta I had emailed many times about the issue in the inc file Tom Hanlin posted a fix for like 8 years ago that never made it in and the bug even made its way into the DDT call. The inc was finally fixed, but DDT call wasn't even though I was told it was before not being offered to Beta test anymore. All my posts and threads commenting on it were deleted in less than 2min, so only those getting email notifications saw them.

A couple years after the PBforms incident Bob took me out to dinner when he visited Saint Louis once. There were interests and partial job offers to work there too, but then we got into it again around the time Steve started because of a lame PB DOS to PB CC they wanted me to do for a customer that just needed re-wrote as bad as it was (Very linear, no Functions, all GOTO and old statements no longer supported)...they (Steve and Bob) didn't want that though and pretty much told me I sucked and they would never work with me again.

I don't post as much useful stuff as I used to there and I too got burned and bought IBASIC and a few addons...it is still a good program for what it was, but the actions by Tom and PB were wrong. It did boost PB's capabilities though.  All they need to do now is port the graphics and 2D/3D over.

[Gary Stout]

Bob does produce probably the greatest compilers out there but he could sure brush up on customer service and how to handle customers, or criticism I should say. Some of the posts that I have read over the years where he was flaming someone really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I really don't like his attitude towards us little pee-ons.

my .02

Gary