Gambas

Gambas was developed by the French programmer Benoît Minisini, with its first release coming in 1999. Benoît had grown up with the BASIC language, and decided to make a free software development environment that could quickly and easily make programs with user interfaces.

The Gambas 1.x versions were first released on January 4, 2005,{{cite web|url=https://lwn.net/Articles/117951/|title=Gambas - a BASIC Development Environment|date=2005-01-05|access-date=2024-02-25|author=Cook|website=LWN.net}} and featured an interface made up of several different separate windows for forms and IDE dialogues in a similar fashion to the interface of earlier versions of the GIMP. It could also only develop applications using Qt and was more oriented towards the development of applications for KDE.{{cite web | url=http://codefez.com/gambas-a-fast-visual-basic-for-linux/ | title=Gambas: A Fast Visual Basic for Linux | publisher=CodeFez | access-date=2007-04-04 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090909105431/http://codefez.com/gambas-a-fast-visual-basic-for-linux/ | archive-date=2009-09-09 | url-status=dead }} The last release of the 1.x versions was Gambas 1.0.19.

Image:Gambas-ubuntu.png

The first of the 2.x versions was released on January 2, 2008, after three to four years of development. It featured a major redesign of the interface, now with all forms and functions embedded in a single window, as well as some changes to the Gambas syntax, although for the most part code compatibility was kept. It featured major updates to existing Gambas components as well as the addition of some new ones, such as new components that could use GTK+ or SDL for drawing or utilize OpenGL acceleration. Gambas 2.x versions can load up and run Gambas 1.x projects, with occasional incompatibilities; the same is true for Gambas 2.x to 3.x, but not from Gambas 1.x to 3.x.

The next major iteration of Gambas, the 3.x versions, was released on December 31, 2011.{{cite web | url=http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Gambas-3-0-for-BASIC-with-bug-and-security-fixes-1403082.html | title=Gambas 3.0 for BASIC with bug and security fixes | publisher=The H | access-date=2012-01-05}} A 2015 benchmark published on the Gambas website showed Gambas 3.8.90 scripting as being faster to varying degrees than Perl 5.20.2 and the then-latest 2.7.10 version of Python in many tests.{{cite web | url=http://gambaswiki.org/wiki/doc/benchmark | title=Benchmarking | publisher=Gambas Website| access-date=2018-02-11}} Version 3.16.0 released on April 20, 2021, featured full support for Wayland using the graphical components, as well as parity between the Qt 5 and GTK 3 components.{{cite web | url=http://gambaswiki.org/wiki/doc/release/3.16.0?nh | title=3.16.0 release notes | publisher=Gambas Website |access-date=2021-02-11}}

Image:Gambas-2.7.0-fedora-blackbox.png with Blackbox]]

Gambas is designed to build graphical programs using the Qt (currently Qt 4.x or 5.x since 3.8.0) or the GTK toolkit (GTK 3.x also supported as of 3.6.0); the Gambas IDE is written in Gambas.{{cite web |url=http://gambaswiki.org/wiki/doc/faq |title=Frequently Asked Questions |website=Gambas Documentation |access-date=2014-11-17}}{{cite web|url=https://www.phoronix.com/news/MTUyNTM|website=Phoronix|first=Michael|last=Larabel|title=The Gambas Project: It's Like Visual Basic On Linux|date=2013-11-25|access-date=2024-02-25}} Gambas includes a GUI designer to aid in creating user interfaces in an event-driven style,{{cite web|url=https://fosswire.com/post/2008/09/gambas-almost-visual-basic-for-linux/|title=Gambas - Almost Visual Basic for Linux|date=2008-09-08|first=Peter|last=Upfold|access-date=2024-02-25|website=FOSSwire}} but can also make command line applications,{{cite web|url=https://pclosmag.com/html/Issues/200810/page04.html|website=PCLinuxOS Magazine|access-date=2024-02-25|title=An Alphabet of Computer Languages: BASIC |first=Gary L.|last=Ratliff Sr.|date=October 2008}} as well as text-based user interfaces using the ncurses toolkit.{{cite web|url=http://captainbodgit.blogspot.com/2017/03/gambas-cli-programming-ncurses-text.html|title=Gambas cli programming: ncurses text based user interface|first=Steve|last=Dee|website=Captain Bogdit|date=2017-03-27|access-date=2023-04-15}} The Gambas runtime environment is needed to run executables.

Functionality is provided by a variety of components, each of which can be selected to provide additional features.{{cite web |url=http://www.osnews.com/story/8849/Regarding_Gambas/page1|first=Daniel |last=Fernandez|title=Regarding Gambas |date=2004-11-11 |publisher=OSNews |access-date=2011-05-07}} Drawing can be provided either through Qt and GTK toolkits, with an additional component which is designed to switch between them.{{cite web |url=http://old.linux.co.uk//docs/center/featured-software/gambas-rad |title=Gambas RAD |publisher=Linux.co.uk |access-date=2011-05-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110829185006/http://old.linux.co.uk/docs/center/featured-software/gambas-rad |archive-date=2011-08-29 }} Drawing can also be provided through the Simple DirectMedia Layer (originally version 1.x, with 2.x added as of 3.7.0),{{cite web|url=http://git.net/gambas-development-environment-basic/msg17384.html |title=Why a new SDL component? |publisher=Gambas Mailing List |access-date=2015-02-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209211934/http://git.net/gambas-development-environment-basic/msg17384.html |archive-date=2015-02-09 }} which can also be utilized for audio playback through a separate sound component (a component for the OpenAL specification has also been added). GPU acceleration support is available through an OpenGL component, as well as other hardware functionally provided by various other components. There are also components for handling other specialized tasks.

With Gambas, developers can also use databases such as MySQL or PostgreSQL, build KDE (Qt) and GNOME GTK applications with DCOP, translate Visual Basic programs to Gambas and run them under Linux, build network solutions, and create CGI web applications. The IDE also includes a tool for the creation of installation packages, supporting GNU Autotools, slackpkg, pacman, RPM, and debs (the latter two then tailored for specific distributions such as Fedora/RHEL/CentOS, Mageia, Mandriva, OpenSUSE and Debian, Ubuntu/Mint). Support for AppImage building was mainlined with version 3.19.0.

Gambas since version 3.2 IDE has integrated profiler and it started to use just-in-time compilation technology.

Gambas is intended to provide a similar experience as developing in Microsoft Visual Basic, but it is not a free software clone of the popular proprietary program.{{cite web|url=https://opensource.com/education/14/4/beginner-programming-basic-gambas|title=BASIC programming with Gambas for the beginner programmer|website=Opensource.com|first=Joshua|last=Allen Holm|date=2014-04-24|access-date=2023-04-05}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ubuntubuzz.com/2022/01/alternatives-to-visual-basic.html?m=1|website=Ubuntu Buzz|first=Ade Malsasa|last=Akbar|date=2022-01-28|access-date=2024-03-10|title=Alternatives to Visual Basic}} The author of Gambas makes it clear that there are similarities to Visual Basic, such as syntax for BASIC programs and the integrated development environment; Gambas was written from the start to be a development environment of its own and seeks to improve on the formula.{{cite web | url=http://gambas-data-grid-codes-database.blogspot.com/p/vb-for-linux.html | author=Mark Alexander Bain | title=Gambas -- Almost Visual Basic on Linux | publisher=Suite101 | date=2008-08-28 }}{{cite web | url=http://www.linuxpromagazine.com/Issues/2008/95/Gambas-Basic-IDE/ | author=Frank Wieduwilt | title=Programming with the Gambas Basic IDE | publisher=Linux Pro Magazine| date=October 2008 | access-date=2011-12-10}}{{cite web | url=http://www.awce.com/gp3-gambas.html | author= AWC Electronics | title=Physical Computing with Linux: A Rapid Approach using Gambas | access-date=2012-02-18}}

Its object model, each class being represented in a file, as well as the archiver to package the program is all inspired by the Java programming language.{{cite web|url=https://www.linuxlinks.com/gambas/|website=LinuxLinks|title=Gambas – development environment and a full powerful development platform|date=2023-11-11|first=Steve|last=Emms|access-date=2024-02-25}} Gambas is intended to be an alternative for former Visual Basic developers who have decided to migrate to Linux. There are also other important distinctions between Gambas and Visual Basic. One notable example is that in Gambas array indexes always start with 0, whereas Visual Basic indexes can start with 0 or 1.{{cite web | url=http://www.gambaswiki.org/wiki/doc/diffvb | title=Differences from Visual Basic | publisher=Gambas Website | access-date=2020-05-01 }} Gambas also supports the += and -= shorthand not found in classic Visual Basic. Both of these are features of Visual Basic .NET however.

Gambas also outlived two other attempts at implementing a Visual Basic style interface for Qt and GTK on Linux,{{cite web|url=https://dgk.or.id/archives/2004/12/16/hbasic-menghadirkan-vb-di-linux/|title=HBasic – Menghadirkan VB di Linux|date=2005-12-06|access-date=2023-09-26}}{{cite web|url=http://www.fredshack.com/docs/linuxbasic.html|title=BASIC for Linux|website=Fredshack|access-date=2023-09-26}} those being HBasic{{cite web|url=https://hbasic.sourceforge.net/|website=SourceForge|title=HBasic IDE and language|date=2007-01-16|access-date=2023-09-26}}{{cite web|url=https://www.macoratti.net/vb_linux.htm|title=VB para Linux.|website=Macoratti.net|first=José Carlos|last=Macoratti|access-date=2023-09-26}} and GNOME Basic,{{cite web|url=http://www.gnome.org/projects/gb/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050205194618/http://www.gnome.org/projects/gb/|title=GB - Basic for GNOME|website=GNOME|archive-date=2005-02-05|access-date=2023-09-26}}{{cite web|url=http://www.linuxfocus.org/English/January2003/article277.shtml|title=BASIC programming with Unix|first=John|last=Perr|website=LinuxFocus|date=2003-01-01|access-date=2023-09-26}} as well as the platform independent KBasic/Basic for Qt.{{cite web|url=https://dot.kde.org/2000/09/29/kbasic-vb-radide-kde|title=KBasic: A VB-Like Rad/IDE For KDE|website=KDE.news|date=29 September 2000 |access-date=2023-09-27}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ics.com/blog/using-qt-alternative-programming-languages-part-1|website=Integrated Computer Solutions|title=Using Qt with Alternative Programming Languages - Part 1|first=Jeff|last=Tranter|date=2015-08-19|access-date=2024-02-25}} Similar style IDEs have since been developed as well for FreeBASIC, namely VisualFBEditor,{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/06/rad_basic_alpha_3/|title=RAD Basic – the Visual Basic 7 that never was – releases third alpha|website=The Register|first=Richard|last=Speed|date=2022-05-06|access-date=2023-03-26|quote=FreeBASIC, which implements much of what lurked in Microsoft QuickBASIC (and has a nifty IDE in the form of VisualFBEditor).}} and QB64, namely InForm.{{cite web|url=https://warped3.substack.com/p/blast-from-the-past-qbasic-45|title=Blast from the past - QBasic 4.5|website=Barn Lab|first=Ivan|last=Rogoz|date=2022-04-07|access-date=2023-09-26|quote=QB64 comes with a WYSIWYG IDE editor called InForm which brings it closer to everyday use as a quick and dirty language for automation for Windows.}}

Image:DONKEY-GB.png]]

Several programs and many forms of example code have been written using and for Gambas. Freecode (formerly Freshmeat) listed 23 applications that were developed using Gambas,{{cite web | url=http://freshmeat.net/tags/gambas | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928005822/http://freecode.com/tags/gambas | archive-date=2013-09-28 | title=23 projects tagged "Gambas" | publisher=Freshmeat| access-date=2012-10-28}} while the Gambas wiki listed 82;{{cite web | url=http://www.gambaswiki.org/wiki/app | title=Application Repository | publisher=Gambas | access-date=2020-05-01 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026180957/http://www.gambaswiki.org/wiki/app | archive-date=2019-10-26 }} several other specialized sites list Gambas applications and code.{{cite web |url=http://gambaslinux.eg2.fr/index.php?lng=en |title=GAMBAS BASIC Web site |publisher=GAMBAS BASIC |access-date=2011-05-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512082113/http://gambaslinux.eg2.fr/index.php?lng=en |archive-date=2011-05-12 }}{{cite web | url=http://pigalore.miraheze.org/wiki/Gambas_Examples | title=Gambas Examples | publisher=Piga Software| access-date=2011-05-07}}[https://libregamewiki.org/Category:Gambas_games Gambas games - Libregamewiki]

A Gambas written application, named Gambas3 ShowCase, acted as a software center to download or install Gambas 3 applications.{{cite web | url=http://gambasshowcase.org/ | title=Gambas3 ShowCase | publisher=gbWilly | access-date=2013-09-22 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110013232/http://gambasshowcase.org/ | archive-date=2016-01-10 | url-status=dead }} It has since been discontinued following the launch of the first party Gambas Software Farm integrated into the IDE since 3.7.1, which contains nearly 500 applications and demos.[https://farm.gambas.one/ Gambas Farm][http://gambaswiki.org/wiki/doc/farmproto Gambas Farm Server Protocol - Gambas Documentation] Several community sites, including community forums and mailing lists, also exist for Gambas.{{cite web | url=http://gambaswiki.org/wiki/doc/forum?nh&l=en | title=Mailing Lists & Forums | publisher=Gambas Web site | access-date=2021-04-04 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301043230/http://gambaswiki.org/wiki/doc/forum?nh&l=en| archive-date=2021-03-01 }}

Notable applications written in Gambas include Xt7-player-mpv, a GUI frontend for mpv player contained in a number of Linux software repositories,[https://www.linux-apps.com/p/1131036/ xt7-player-mpv - linux-APPS.com][http://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2014/07/xt7-player-best-video-player-kubuntu-kde/ XT7-Player – Best Video Player for Kubuntu / KDE - Ubuntu Handbook][http://www.webupd8.org/2011/11/xt7-player-is-fully-featured-mplayer.html Xt7-Player Is A Fully Featured Mplayer GUI - Web Upd8] and I-Nex, a program for displaying hardware data.{{cite web|url=https://www.linux-magazine.com/Online/Features/Getting-System-Info-with-I-Nex|title=Getting System Info with I-Nex|website=Linux Magazine|first=Vincze-Aron|last=Szabo|access-date=11 November 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ubuntubuzz.com/2015/04/i-nex-advanced-cpu-z-hardware-utility-for-linux.html|title=I-Nex, An Advanced CPU-Z Hardware Utility for Linux|first=Ade Malsasa|last=Akbar|date=21 April 2015|website=Ubuntu Buzz|access-date=11 November 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2014/02/nex-cpu-z-hardware-stat-tool-linux|title=i-Nex – A CPU-Z Hardware Stat Tool for Linux|first=Joey|last=Sneddon|website=OMG Ubuntu!|date=24 November 2014|access-date=11 November 2024}} The comisat Games Collection are early examples of video games written in Gambas.{{cite web|url=

https://nixbit.com/software/comisat-games-collection-review/|title=comisat Games Collection 0.5.2 review |website=Nixbit|access-date=2023-02-08}}

Gambas is included in the repositories of a number of Linux distributions, such as Debian, Fedora, Slackware, Arch Linux, Mageia, PCLinuxOS, Linux Mint and Ubuntu.{{cite web|url=https://www.linux.org/threads/gambas-overview.10579/|first=Jarret W.|last=Buse|title=GAMBAS Overview|website=Linux.org|date=2014-08-18|access-date=2024-02-25}} A Microsoft Windows version of Gambas was run under the Cygwin environment, although this version was significantly less tested than its Linux counterparts and was command-line only; Cooperative Linux and derivatives have also been used,[https://gambas-user.narkive.com/oZba9RVr/gambas-on-windows-alternative Gambas on Windows - Alternative] as well as specialized Linux virtual machines.{{cite web|url=http://www.gambasmag.com/article/how-to-run-gambas-on-windows|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210140358/http://www.gambasmag.com/article/how-to-run-gambas-on-windows|archive-date=2016-12-10|title=How to Run Gambas on Windows|website=Gambas Magazine|first=R.|last=Morgan|date=2014-06-29}}[https://pigalore.miraheze.org/wiki/Running_Gambas_Programs_in_Windows Running Gambas Programs in Windows - PigaLore, the Piga Software Wiki] An independent contributor, François Gallo, also worked on porting Gambas 3.x to Mac OS X and FreeBSD, based on using local versions of the X11 system.{{cite web | url=http://gambas.8142.n7.nabble.com/A-step-forward-in-Gambas-td15054.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210044835/http://gambas.8142.n7.nabble.com/A-step-forward-in-Gambas-td15054.html | archive-date=2017-02-10 | first=François | last=Gallo | title=A step forward in Gambas! | website=gambas-user | access-date=2023-04-07}} A build for Haiku has also been worked on by Francois Revol.{{cite web|url=https://discuss.haiku-os.org/t/gambas-on-haiku/10500|website=Haiku|title=Gambas on Haiku?|author=djgpp|date=March 2021|access-date=2024-02-25}} Gambas from version 3.2 can run on Raspberry Pi, and offers just-in-time compilation there from version 3.12. It can also be run from the cloud using rollApp.[https://m.facebook.com/rollApp/photos/a.372019482841186/3986050128104752/?type=3 New version of Gambas 3.15.2 is already available on rollApp.]

In November 2013, the future portability of Gambas was discussed, listing the main concerns being Linux kernel features utilized in the interpreter, components using Linux specific software and libraries, and primarily X11-tying in the Qt, GTK and desktop integration components. However, partly due to the need to upgrade to newer toolkits such as GTK 3 (added as of 3.6.0) and Qt 5 (as of 3.8.0), future versions would be less X11 tied, making projects like Cygwin or utterly native versions on other platforms more possible. Benoît Minisini stated that he intended to "encapsulate" X11 specific code to aid in any attempt to replace it,[http://gambas.8142.n7.nabble.com/Gambas-Future-or-what-kind-of-Gambas-we-want-tt44034.html#none Gambas Future or what kind of Gambas we want] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227003801/http://gambas.8142.n7.nabble.com/Gambas-Future-or-what-kind-of-Gambas-we-want-tt44034.html#none |date=2014-02-27 }}, Gambas Mailing List with the X11 support in the desktop component moved to its own component as of 3.6.0.

On October 27, 2016, a screenshot and setup guide was released from the main page for running Gambas fully through Cygwin, including most components, graphical toolkits, and the complete IDE.[http://gambaswiki.org/wiki/install/cygwin?nh Cygwin Install Guide - Gambas Wiki][https://cygwin.com/packages/summary/gambas3.html gambas3 package - Cygwin website] The relevant patches were mainlined as of version 3.9.2.{{cite web|url=http://www.gambasmag.com/article/project-spot-light-gambas-on-windows/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408010127/http://www.gambasmag.com/article/project-spot-light-gambas-on-windows/|archive-date=2016-04-08|title=How to Run Gambas on Windows|website=Gambas Magazine|first=R.|last=Morgan|date=2014-06-29}} This replaces the prior recommended method of using freenx forwarding from a Linux server.[http://gambaswiki.org/wiki/howto/windows How To Run Gambas On Windows - Gambas Wiki] It has also been successfully run using the Windows Subsystem for Linux.{{cite web|url=https://gambaswiki.org/wiki/howto/wsl|website=Gambas Wiki|first=John|last=Dovey|title=How to run Gambas and Gambas Apps on Windows using WSL|access-date=2024-02-25}}[https://forum.gambas.one/viewtopic.php?t=812 Gambas on Windows], Gambas-One This was usually done using an X terminal emulator such Mobaxterm on Windows,{{cite web|url=https://elmeson-santafe.com/how-to-run-gambas-in-ubuntu/|title=How To Run Gambas In Ubuntu|website=Elneson-santafe|first=Daniel|last=Vasques|date=2023-01-09|access-date=2023-02-11}} as WSL did not support X11 graphics directly until Windows 11.[https://forum.gambas.one/viewtopic.php?t=1226 Windows 11], Gambas-One

A "Hello, World!" program with graphical user interface.

Public Sub Main()

Message("Hello, World!")

End

Program that computes a 100-term polynomial 500000 times, and repeats it ten times (used for benchmarking).

Private Sub Test(X As Float) As Float

Dim Mu As Float = 10.0

Dim Pu, Su As Float

Dim I, J, N As Integer

Dim aPoly As New Float[100]

N = 500000

For I = 0 To N - 1

For J = 0 To 99

Mu = (Mu + 2.0) / 2.0

aPoly[J] = Mu

Next

Su = 0.0

For J = 0 To 99

Su = X * Su + aPoly[J]

Next

Pu += Su

Next

Return Pu

End

Public Sub Main()

Dim I as Integer

For I = 1 To 10

Print Test(0.2)

Next

End

{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}

• List of BASIC dialects
• Comparison of integrated development environments#BASIC
• GNAVI
• Lazarus

{{Reflist|30em}}

• Mark Alexander Bain (Apr 28, 2006) [http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8481 An Introduction to Gambas], Linux Journal, issue 146, June 2006 (in print)
• Mark Alexander Bain (Dec 3, 2004) [http://www.linux.com/archive/articles/40666 Gambas speeds database development], Linux.com
• Mark Alexander Bain (Dec 12, 2007) [http://www.linux.com/archive/feature/122049 Creating simple charts with Gambas 2.0], Linux.com
• Fabián Flores Vadell (Nov, 2010) [https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=es&sl=es&tl=en&u=http://comoprogramarcongambas.blogspot.com/ How to Program with Gambas]

{{Wikibooks}}

{{Commons}}

• {{Official website}}
• [https://gitlab.com/gambas/gambas Gambas] on GitLab
• [http://gambaswiki.org/wiki Gambas documentation]
• [https://lists.gambas-basic.org/listinfo/user Gambas mailing list] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127202614/https://lists.gambas-basic.org/listinfo/user |date=2018-01-27 }}
• [https://wordpress.gambas.one/ Gambas One], English community
• [http://www.gambasindia.com/ Gambas India], community and source code repo

{{BASIC}}

{{Integrated development environments}}

{{GUI builders}}

{{Qt}}

Category:BASIC compilers

Category:BASIC interpreters

Category:BASIC programming language family

Category:Free integrated development environments

Category:Free software programmed in BASIC

Category:Linux integrated development environments

Category:Linux programming tools

Category:Object-oriented programming languages

Category:Procedural programming languages

Category:Programming languages created in 1999

Category:Self-hosting software

Category:Software that uses Qt

Category:Software that uses GTK

Category:Software using the GNU General Public License

Category:User interface builders