ScriptBasic Users Guide

by Peter Verhas

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Using ScriptBasic

2.1. Running from command line
2.2. Running CGI programs
2.3. Writing CGI programs

3. Installation Instructions

3.1. Installation under Windows

3.1.1. Installation under Windows from source

3.2. Installation under Linux
3.3. Installation under other Unices
3.4. Configuration
3.5. Configuration file location under Windows NT
3.6. Configuration file location under UNIX
3.7. Overriding the default configuration file
3.8. Trouble shooting installation

4. Code caching

4.1. How cache file name is calculated
4.2. Cache handling shortages
4.3. Cache security

5. Compiling BASIC programs

5.1. Binary format of the BASIC code

6. Compiling BASIC program to EXE

6.1. BASIC to EXE compilation technical details

7. Compiling BASIC programs to C

7.1. Compilation under Windows NT
7.2. Compilation under UNIX

8. Compiling ScriptBasic with modules
9. General Language Format

9.1. Hello World
9.2. Strings
9.3. Numbers
9.4. Variables
9.5. Constants
9.6. Forcing Variable Declaration
9.7. Arrays

9.7.1. Creating arrays
9.7.2. Array index limits
9.7.3. Deleting an array

9.8. Associative Arrays

9.8.1. Notes for using associative arrays

9.9. Using Array Mixed Mode
9.10. Expressions

9.10.1. Operators

9.10.1.1. Power operator (^)
9.10.1.2. Multiplication operator (*)
9.10.1.3. Division operator (/)
9.10.1.4. Integer division operator (\)
9.10.1.5. Modulus operator (%)
9.10.1.6. Addition and subtraction operators (+, -)
9.10.1.7. Bit-wise and logical NOT (NOT)
9.10.1.8. Equality operator (=)
9.10.1.9. Not equal operator (<>)
9.10.1.10. Compare operators (<, <=, >, >=)
9.10.1.11. Logical operators (and, or, xor)
9.10.1.12. Concatenation operator (&)
9.10.1.13. ByVal operator
9.10.1.14. LIKE operator
9.10.1.15. Extension operators
9.10.1.16. Planned, Future Operators

9.11. Assignments (LET)
9.12. Operator Assignments
9.13. Comments
9.14. Including Files
9.15. Internal preprocessors
9.16. Using external preprocessor
9.17. #! /usr/bin/scriba
9.18. @goto start
9.19. #!/@goto

10. Interacting with the user

10.1. Print
10.2. Input
10.3. Handling command line arguments

11. Name spaces
12. File Handling

12.1. Opening and creating files
12.2. Text and binary files
12.3. Switching between binary and text mode
12.4. Getting a free file number
12.5. Positioning in a file
12.6. Reading and writing files
12.7. Getting and setting the current working directory
12.8. Locking a file
12.9. Locking file range
12.10. Truncating a file
12.11. Deleting a file or directory
12.12. Creating a directory
12.13. Setting file parameters
12.14. Listing files

12.14.1. Open directory
12.14.2. Function NextFile
12.14.3. Function EOD
12.14.4. Reset directory
12.14.5. Close directory

13. Networking

13.1. Opening a Socket
13.2. Getting the host name

14. String handling commands

14.1. Split and splita
14.2. Unpack

15. Conditional Execution
16. The statement GOTO
17. Loop constructs
18. Functions and Subroutines

18.1. Declaration of subroutines and function
18.2. Calling functions and subroutines
18.3. Returning a value
18.4. Local and global variables
18.5. More on local and global variables
18.6. Parameters passed by value and by reference
18.7. ByVal command
18.8. Calling functions indirectly
18.9. GOSUB and RETURN

19. Reference Variables
20. Pattern matching

20.1. The operator LIKE
20.2. The function JOKER
20.3. Escaping wild cards
20.4. Ambiguous matching
20.5. Advanced matching

21. Handling run-time errors

21.1. On error goto
21.2. Resume
21.3. RESUME
21.4. Levels of error handling
21.5. Error codes

22. Setting options
23. Other miscellaneous commands

23.1. Sleep

24. Using External modules
25. Command reference

25.1. ABS
25.2. ACOS
25.3. ACOSECANT
25.4. ACTAN
25.5. ADDDAY
25.6. ADDHOUR
25.7. ADDMINUTE
25.8. ADDMONTH
25.9. ADDRESS( myFunc() )
25.10. ADDSECOND
25.11. ADDWEEK
25.12. ADDYEAR
25.13. ASC(string)
25.14. ASECANT
25.15. ASIN
25.16. ATAN
25.17. ATN
25.18. BIN
25.19. BINMODE [ # fn ] | input | output
25.20. CALL subroutine
25.21. CHDIR directory
25.22. CHOMP()
25.23. CHR(code)
25.24. CINT
25.25. CLOSE [ # ] fn
25.26. CLOSE DIRECTORY [#] dn
25.27. COMMAND()

25.27.1. COMMANDF Details

25.28. Concatenate operator &amp;
25.29. CONF("conf.key")
25.30. COS
25.31. COSECANT
25.32. COTAN
25.33. COTAN2
25.34. CRYPT(string,salt)
25.35. CURDIR()
25.36. CVD
25.37. CVI
25.38. CVL
25.39. CVS
25.40. DAY
25.41. DECLARE COMMAND function ALIAS cfun LIB library

25.41.1. DECLARECOMMAND Details

25.42. DECLARE SUB function ALIAS cfun LIB library

25.42.1. DECLARESUB Details

25.43. DELETE file/directory_name
25.44. DELTREE file/directory_name
25.45. DO
25.46. DO UNTIL condition
25.47. DO WHILE condition
25.48. END
25.49. ENVIRON("envsymbol") or ENVIRON(n)

25.49.1. ENVIRON Details

25.50. EOD(dn)
25.51. EOF(n)
25.52. ERROR() or ERROR n
25.53. ERROR$() or ERROR$(n)
25.54. EVEN
25.55. EXECUTE("executable_program", time_out,pid_v)

25.55.1. EXECUTE Details
25.55.2. EXECUTE Details
25.55.3. EXECUTE Details

25.56. EXIT FUNCTION
25.57. EXIT SUB
25.58. EXP
25.59. FALSE
25.60. FILEACCESSTIME(file_name)
25.61. FILECOPY filename,filename
25.62. FILECREATETIME(file_name)
25.63. FILEEXISTS(file_name)
25.64. FILELEN(file_name)
25.65. FILEMODIFYTIME(file_name)
25.66. FIX
25.67. LOCK # fn, mode
25.68. FOR var=exp_start TO exp_stop [ STEP exp_step ]
25.69. FORK()
25.70. FORMAT()
25.71. FORMATDATE

25.71.1. FORMATDATE Details

25.72. FILEOWNER(FileName)
25.73. FRAC
25.74. FREEFILE()
25.75. FUNCTION fun()

25.75.1. FUNCTION Details

25.76. GCD
25.77. GMTIME
25.78. GMTOLOCALTIME
25.79. GOSUB label
25.80. GOTO label
25.81. HCOS
25.82. HCOSECANT
25.83. HCTAN
25.84. HEX(n)
25.85. HOSTNAME()
25.86. HOUR
25.87. HSECANT
25.88. HSIN
25.89. HTAN
25.90. ICALL n,v1,v2, ... ,vn

25.90.1. ICALL Details

25.91. IF condition THEN
25.92. IMAX
25.93. IMIN
25.94. INPUT(n,fn)
25.95. INSTR(base_string,search_string [ ,position ] )
25.96. INSTRREV(base_string,search_string [ ,position ] )
25.97. INT
25.98. ISARRAY
25.99. ISDEFINED
25.100. ISDIRECTORY(file_name)
25.101. ISEMPTY
25.102. ISINTEGER
25.103. ISNUMERIC
25.104. ISREAL
25.105. ISFILE(file_name)
25.106. ISSTRING
25.107. ISUNDEF
25.108. JOIN(joiner,str1,str2,...)

25.108.1. JOIN Details

25.109. JOKER(n)

25.109.1. JOKER Details

25.110. KILL(pid)
25.111. LBOUND
25.112. LCASE()
25.113. LCM
25.114. LEFT(string,len)

25.114.1. LEFT Details

25.115. LEN()
25.116. v = expression
25.117. v &= expression
25.118. v /= expression
25.119. v \= expression
25.120. v -= expression
25.121. v += expression
25.122. v *= expression
25.123. string LIKE pattern

25.123.1. LIKE Details

25.124. LINE INPUT
25.125. LOC()
25.126. LOCATLTOGMTIME
25.127. LOCK # fn, mode
25.128. LOCK REGION # fn FROM start TO end FOR mode
25.129. LOF()
25.130. LOG
25.131. LOG10
25.132. LTRIM()
25.133. MAX
25.134. MAXINT
25.135. MID(string,start [ ,len ])

25.135.1. MID Details

25.136. MIN
25.137. MININT
25.138. MINUTE
25.139. MKD
25.140. MKDIR directory_name
25.141. MKI
25.142. MKL
25.143. MKS
25.144. MONTH
25.145. NAME filename,filename
25.146. NEXTFILE(dn)
25.147. NOW
25.148. OCT(n)
25.149. ODD
25.150. ON ERROR GOTO [ label | NULL ]
25.151. ON ERROR RESUME [ label | next ]
25.152. OPEN file_name FOR mode AS [ # ] i [ LEN=record_length ]
25.153. OPEN DIRECTORY dir_name PATTERN pattern OPTION option AS dn
25.154. OPTION symbol value
25.155. OPTION("symbol")
25.156. pack("format",v1,v2,...,vn)
25.157. PAUSE
25.158. PI
25.159. POP
25.160. POW
25.161. PRINT [ # fn , ] print_list
25.162. RANDOMIZE
25.163. ref v1 = v2
25.164. REPEAT
25.165. REPLACE(base_string,search_string,replace_string [,number_of_replaces] [,position])
25.166. RESET
25.167. RESET DIRECTORY [#] dn
25.168. RESUME [ label | next ]
25.169. RETURN
25.170. REWIND [ # ]fn
25.171. RIGHT(string,len)

25.171.1. RIGHT Details

25.172. RND
25.173. ROUND
25.174. RTRIM()
25.175. SEC
25.176. SECANT
25.177. SEEK fn,position
25.178. SET FILE filename parameter=value
25.179. SET JOKER "c" TO "abcdefgh..."
25.180. SET WILD "c" TO "abcdefgh..."
25.181. SIN
25.182. SLEEP(n)
25.183. SPACE(n)
25.184. SPLIT string BY string TO var_1,var_2,var_3,...,var_n
25.185. SPLITA string BY string TO array
25.186. SPLITAQ string BY string QUOTE string TO array
25.187. SQR
25.188. STOP
25.189. STR(n)

25.189.1. STR Details

25.190. STRING(n,code)
25.191. STRREVERSE(string)
25.192. SUB fun()
25.193. swap a,b
25.194. SYSTEM(executable_program)
25.195. TAN
25.196. TAN2
25.197. TEXTMODE [ # fn] | input | output
25.198. TIMEVALUE
25.199. TRIM()
25.200. TRUE
25.201. TRUNCATE fn,new_length
25.202. TYPE
25.203. UBOUND
25.204. UCASE()
25.205. UNDEF variable

25.205.1. UNDEF Details

25.206. UNPACK string BY format TO v1,v2,...,vn
25.207. VAL
25.208. WAITPID(PID,ExitCode)
25.209. WEEKDAY
25.210. WHILE condition
25.211. YEAR
25.212. YEARDAY