Microsoft Small Basic v0.3 is here

[Ed Price]

First published on MSDN on Feb 10, 2009

Authored by Vijaye Raji

The next iteration in Microsoft Small Basic's pre-release cycle is here.  Once again, we've taken feedback from the community and are giving you what you asked for.  So, don't forget to request your favorite feature in our forums ( http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/smallbasic/threads/ )

Download it here

This release features a few features, a bunch of bug fixes and a couple important breaking changes.  Please note these breaking changes because you would have to update some of your programs before they would work in the new version.

First, the features

1. Publish and Import
   

   Remember how you had to copy and paste your program to share it with friends or to post your sample on the forums?  Well, you don't have to anymore.  Just hit the Publish button and you'll get back a 6-digit/letter combination code.  This code uniquely identifies your program and your friends can now view and run your program by importing it using this code.

   
   

   Also, you can view your program by going to http://smallbasic.com/program/ and typing your program code.  For example, I wrote a really simple program and published it.  The id I got back was DCT967 .  Everyone can now view this program at: http://smallbasic.com/program/?DCT967



2. Splash Screen


3. Performance optimizations : Makes Small Basic startup faster

Bug Fixes

1. Fixed a lot of regional formatting issues. Decimals now preserve their precision in non-US settings machine.


2. Fixed issues with DateTime formatting in non-US settings machine.


3. Fixed Font Size setting issues.  Font Sizes can now be set once and they take effect right away.


4. Fixed issues with multiple event subscribers.  There can only be one sub routine subscribed to an event now.


5. Added Close Button to the errors window


6. Added sync lock for "CreateWindow" in GraphicsWindow object.  Extenders can now run multi-threaded if they wanted to.


7. Program now exits cleanly after setting the desktop background.


8. GetHeight and GetWidth on ImageList now return the correct pixel height and width respectively


9. Fixed crash that happens when permission to the temporary folder is denied.

Breaking Changes

Here is a list of breaking changes in v0.3.  These are important because you might have to update some of your programs to run on this.

1. Shapes object : The GraphicsWindow has been factored out and there's now a new Shapes object.  This object contains operations like AddRectangle, AddEllipse, etc.  These methods used to be on GraphicsWindow and now they are no more.  If your program used them, you'd have to modify your program to match the new pattern.


2. ImageList.LoadImage : ImageList.LoadImage no longer takes an "image id" as an argument.  Instead it returns a newly created id for you to use.  For example "pic = ImageList.LoadImage("c:\myimage.jpg")"