Programming with Microsoft Small Basic

Microsoft Small Basic makes windows programming easy.  Whether you are a beginner  or a novice programmer, you will find Microsoft Small Basic easier to use than other Programming languages. 

I created a craps game in Microsoft Small Basic in less than one day.  I found that the error messages displayed when I tried to run the program lead me directly to the errors in my program. Furthermore, the errors were easy to correct. The error messages include both the line number and the place on that line the error exists.  

Microsoft Small Basic is not intended for those who want to hone their object oriented programming skills.  It lends itself to those who practice top-down programming or modular programming. A discussion of top-down programming and modular programming is beyond the scope of this article. However, I do plan to write follow-up articles on these topics.

A Microsoft Small Basic Program is an event driven program. The programmer dictates what to do when a mouse button or a key on the keyboard is pressed. 

Microsoft Small Basic is not a visual programming language.  You can not drag and drop buttons and menu items.  

Microsoft Small Basic does not allow the programmer to easily pass variables to a subroutine. Subroutines do not take arguments. If you want to pass one of two variables to a subroutine,  you have to invent a method of doing it in the program or you have to create two subroutines.

As of the time of this writing, I have not found an easy way to add menu items to my Small Basic programs. I also have not found an easy way to add radio buttons to my program. 

However, Microsoft Small Basic does provide the programmer with the tools to create games. And that’s exactly why I downloaded it.

For those who would like to view the my craps game program listing, here is the URL:

http://johnsprogrammingtutorials.blogspot.com/2013/01/small-basic-craps-game-program-with.html