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HotBasic Frequently Asked Questions by Norm Kaiser

What is HotBasic?
What kind of applications can be written with HotBasic?
What operating system does HotBasic run on?
Since HotBasic is based on BASIC, does that mean it's just for beginners?
You say HotBasic slashes development time.  How?
What do you mean by "best executables"?
Why are HotBasic executables smaller, faster, more efficient, and more secure?
What makes HotBasic any better than Perl, PHP, Python, ScriptBASIC, or Java?
How does HotBasic stack up against Visual Basic .Net?
How else is HotBasic better than Visual Basic?
Come on! Can HotBasic really be used to write scientific applications?
Who wrote HotBasic?
Is HotBasic still being developed? If yes, by whom?
Is HotBasic supported?
Does HotBasic work with databases?
Can HotBasic use the Windows XP style controls?
Can HotBasic call external DLLs?
Is HotBasic hard to install?
What about applications written with HotBasic? How do I distribute them?
So HotBasic applications are completely stand-alone applications?
All this sounds just way too good to be true.  There's got to be a catch.
What kind of form objects can I use with HotBasic?
Can I access all the native properties of form objects?
How can I try HotBasic?
OK, you have me convinced.  How can I buy HotBasic?
I have to ask.  Who or what is Hotbabe?

What is HotBasic?

HotBasic is a full-featured software development environment and compiler based on the classic BASIC programming language.

What kind of applications can be written with HotBasic?

You name it! HotBasic is a serious software development tool for professionals that can be used to create applications for business, science, art, and entertainment.  HotBasic can create console, GUI, and CGI application types and .obj and .dll modules.

What operating system does HotBasic run on?

HotBasic can create applications for both Windows and Linux, making it truly cross platform.  This means that applications you write on one type of system can very easily be ported over to the other!

 Since HotBasic is based on BASIC, does that mean it's just for beginners?

Absolutely not! While HotBasic's clean, simple syntax makes it great for beginners, it's truly intended for professional software developers.  HotBasic can be used in the most complex environments imaginable by the most exacting of engineers.

You say HotBasic slashes development time.  How?

Lots of time is wasted developing applications in other languages because the language itself just gets in the way.  So many popular programming languages nowadays are full of alien punctuation, run-on notation, odd structure, and abbreviated keywords.  This makes the code hard to read and hard to write, which is bad enough for projects with only one developer.  The problem is made much, much worse when a programming project requires a team of developers who waste untold amounts of time trying to figure out what each other are doing.

HotBasic relieves you of that burden by delivering a language and syntax that's logical, intuitive, and extremely readable.  With HotBasic, developers spend more time thinking about what their programs should do and less time trying to make heads or tails out of Martian code.

What do you mean by "best executables"?

An executable is a program that can be run (executed) on a computer all by itself.  There are lots of development tools on the market today, so programmers have many choices.  One of the reasons HotBasic is the right choice is because the executables it produces are smaller, faster, more efficient, and more stable than the executables produced by the competition--and nothing is sacrificed.

Why are HotBasic executables smaller, faster, more efficient, and more secure?

Unlike every other compiler on the market, HotBasic is all-new technology fit for the 21st century.  Other compilers, on the other hand, rely on obsolete general purpose libraries.

A library is like a software toolbox.  It contains procedures that are used over and over again.  This makes the process of writing software much easier.  The problem with the other compilers on the market is, the libraries they use are ten, 15, and sometimes 20 years old! Think about how much technology has changed in the past ten years and that should give you an idea of what we're talking about.

HotBasic doesn't use any of that outmoded technology.  HotBasic was developed from scratch using the latest techniques in programming and system design.  We didn't copycat anyone else or use anything "off the shelf." We started with a clean slate and committed ourselves to building HotBasic the right way.  And it paid off big.  Now you can benefit from our hard work!

What makes HotBasic any better than Perl, PHP, Python, ScriptBASIC, or Java?

Two words--true compilation.  HotBasic does what very few programming languages (especially ones based on BASIC) do--it compiles to true machine code.  Perl, PHP, Python, ScriptBASIC, and Java don't do this; instead they're interpreted.  What does that mean? Let's use an analogy.

Suppose a friend of yours named Jack introduces you to a visitor from Germany named Hans.  Assume you don't speak German and Hans doesn't speak English.  If you want to say something to Hans, you must say it to your friend Jack, who then tells it to Hans in German.  When Hans responds, he, too, must speak to you through Jack.  Think how slow a conversation between you and Hans would be.  Well, that's exactly what happens when you write programs using an interpreted language.  The only language a computer truly understands is machine code.  When you write a program in an interpreted language, whether you realize it or not, another piece of software is required that interprets your program into machine code as your program is running.  That means your computer has to run two programs at once--the one you wrote and the interpreter.  Plus, your program runs much slower than it could because the computer must interpret each instruction one-by-one as your program runs.

HotBasic does not do this.  HotBasic compiles the programs you write into straight machine code--the computer's native tongue.  Thus your computer doesn't have to waste resources interpreting the instructions in your program.  This feature alone puts HotBasic in rare company.

How does HotBasic stack up against Visual Basic .Net?

In terms of program size, speed, and stability, Visual Basic .Net has met its match in HotBasic! But don't take our word for it.  Check out our HotBasic vs. Visual Basic matchup and see the results for yourself.  Put simply, applications written in HotBasic are smaller, faster, and more stable than applications written in Visual Basic.

How else is HotBasic better than Visual Basic?

In so many ways! To write an application in Visual Basic nowadays, developers are virtually bound to its graphical drag-and-drop IDE.  When you compile a program with that IDE, Visual Basic creates numerous files and folders associated with it--whether you want it to or not.  In other words, you hand control over to the IDE.

With HotBasic, you have total control over the development experience and environment.  You can write a very serious enterprise application in HotBasic using nothing more than Notepad and the compiler.  The language is so clear and so efficient, you can program many complex operations by simply writing a few lines of code.

Come on! Can HotBasic really be used to write scientific applications?

Absolutely.  HotBasic is not just suitable for scientific applications--it's the best choice.  Why? Because of how it's written.  As discussed earlier, HotBasic does not rely on old libraries written by an unknown hodgepodge of developers over a drawn-out amount of time.  HotBasic relies on a library that was written specifically for HotBasic, using the best coding techniques of the 21st century.

One of the techniques we're referring to is how HotBasic only goes into your system memory or asks your operating system (Windows or Linux) to do something when it's absolutely necessary.  Other programming languages--again because they use those old-fashioned, general purpose libraries--have no choice but to continually use your system memory as a scratchpad for variables and temporary storage.  This means your system's CPU is constantly writing and fetching data from memory.

HotBasic, on the other hand, because it's so efficient and well-designed, exploits the CPU's own internal registers to the maximum extent.  To illustrate how this is significant, imagine a file cabinet in your desk versus a file cabinet downstairs in the basement.  Keeping documents in your desk makes getting your work done a heck of lot faster and easier than having to constantly walk down the hall and go down the stairs to fetch and file documents.  That's the HotBasic difference.  Using CPU registers to their fullest is just like keeping all the documents you need in a cabinet at your fingertips.

HotBasic also features a very complete set of algebraic and trigonometric functions needed for serious science.

Who wrote HotBasic?

HotBasic was written by accomplished scientist Dr. James Keene.  Dr. Keene began work on HotBasic in 2003 because he needed a compiler for experiments he was conducting but found that all the other compilers on the market weren't up to his specifications.  So from the start, Dr. Keene had no real intention of writing the world's premier compiler--just one that met his needs.  But simply by applying proper science, solid design, and common sense to the project, he soon found that he had something better than he ever expected--and something far better than all the top dogs in the industry have produced to date!

Is HotBasic still being developed? If yes, by whom?

Yes, HotBasic is being very actively developed by Dr. Keene--its creator--and by various members of the HotBasic development community.

Is HotBasic supported?

Of course! HotBasic has a very active discussion board.  If you have a question, just ask it there, and chances are, Dr. Keene (aka Doctor Electron) himself will answer you personally! Plus there are lots of other HotBasic gurus in the community who are eager to help newcomers with questions.

Does HotBasic work with databases?

Yes.  With HotBasic you can easily query, write to, and manipulate any ODBC compatible database.  And support for databases is native in HotBasic--no separate modules to load or buy like many other compilers.

Can HotBasic use the Windows XP style controls?

Sure.  You can either use the older Windows 9x widget set for the classic look or the more modern XP widget set--whichever you prefer.  And making the change is simply a matter of adding one line of code to the top of your program.

Can HotBasic call external DLLs?

Yes.

Is HotBasic hard to install?

Not at all.  If you want to develop applications with the competition, you're looking at an installation consisting of three or four CDs.  HotBasic? Just drag a folder onto your desktop and you're ready to go.  That folder easily fits on a thumbdrive.  Again, just copy the HotBasic folder to your desktop and you're all set to start coding.

What about applications written with HotBasic? How do I distribute them?

Simple! You copy your executable onto some media, give the media to your customer, and your customer just copies it onto his computer.  That's it.  All the customer has to do is double click your application.  No tedious installation routine, no registry entries, and no framework or runtime environment required.  In fact, many HotBasic applications have such a tiny footprint they can fit on a floppy disk!

So HotBasic applications are completely stand-alone applications?

Yes, 100% stand-alone--nothing else required.  Remember, HotBasic compiles to true machine code (not a bytecode), so your computer doesn't need anything else to understand and run them.

All this sounds just way too good to be true.  There's got to be a catch.

Nope, no catch.  HotBasic is everything the ideal software development tool should be--efficient, powerful, flexible, and stable--all with a tiny footprint.  Nothing is sacrificed.  HotBasic is fully mature, robust, and chock full of features.

What kind of form objects can I use with HotBasic?

All the most commonly used ones--radio buttons, combo boxes, list boxes, grids, menus, labels, canvases, checkboxes, headers, and many, many more.  See our documentation for a complete list.

Can I access all the native properties of form objects?

Yes! Among hundreds of object properties, HotBasic provides read/write Style and ExStyle properties for each object so you can access all the various style bits of the objects.  So if Windows can do it, you can do it.

How can I try HotBasic?

First, download the Trial version which makes console applications. Then, for the full version, give our on-line compiler a whirl! Just paste or type in some sample code into the on-line compiler, click Compile, and a fully operational executable is delivered to your desktop.

OK, you have me convinced.  How can I buy HotBasic?

Easy.  Just click on the Purchace link on this site and follow the instructions.  You can pay by credit card using ultra-secure PayPal or you can pay by bank wire transfer, check or money order.

I have to ask.  Who or what is Hotbabe?

Hotbabe is the HotBasic mascot.  Linux has its cute penguin, MySQL has its dolphin...us? We have Hotbabe.  HotBabe is the perfect mascot for HotBasic because she represents everything that HotBasic is--slim, beautiful, highly desirable...and easy!

FAQ text: Copyright © 2007 Norm Kaiser
Copyright © 2007 James J Keene PhD
HotBasic™ is a trademark of James J Keene
Original Publication: Jan 29, 2007

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HotBabe:
Miss Compiler 2006