[vegaseat]

If you are an old timer like me, and have used Basic or Qbasic in the past, here is a nifty package ...

BCX the BASIC To C Translator:
Pro:
- simple basic syntax
- easy to write console or GUI code
- translates to C code and then compiles the C code
- you can view and change the C code
- good help file
- lots of examples
- active forum
- comes in a package including editor/IDE and C compiler
also has a Visual Basic like IDE and form builder
BCX DevSuite Pro from: BCX DevSuite Pro at RJP Computing

Con:
- C code might be just another layer for some

Here is typical BCX code ...

' look at a series of numbers and print out the prime numbers
' prime numbers are divisible only by unity or themselves
' this is BCX basic, a modern successor to Qbasic

Dim A    ' defaults to integer

For A = 1 To 100
  If IsPrime(A) Then Print A;
Next

Pause   ' make console wait

Function IsPrime(Num)
  Local X
  ' make exeptions for 1 and 2
  If Num = 1 Then Function = False
  If Num = 2 Then Function = True
  ' leave on even numbers
  If Mod(Num, 2) = 0 Then Exit Function
  For X = 3 To Num - 1 Step 2
    If Mod(Num, X) = 0 Then Exit Function
  Next X
  Function = TRUE  ' return true if it's a Prime Number
End Function

Or a simple example of GUI code ...

' test listbox selection

GUI "ListBox1", PIXELS

SET names[7][10] AS char
   "Heidi", "Bertha", "Samantha", "Rubin", 
   "Frank", "Sandy", "Sunny"
END SET

DIM text$
DIM Form1 AS HWND
DIM List1 AS HWND

SUB FORMLOAD
  LOCAL A$, k 

  Form1 = BCX_FORM("Click on a name ...", 0, 0, 260, 200)
  List1 = BCX_LISTBOX("", Form1, 1009, 10, 15, 100, 150)

  FOR k = 0 TO 6
    A$ = names[k]
    addLB(List1, A$) ' load list1 via sub
  NEXT

  CENTER(Form1)
  SHOW (Form1)
END SUB

BEGIN EVENTS
SELECT CASE CBMSG
  CASE WM_COMMAND
    ' list box item clicked (selected)
    IF CBCTL = 1009 THEN    
      IF CBCTLMSG = LBN_SELCHANGE THEN
        text$ = getLB$(List1)
        ' just for test
        Beep(400,500)
        ' selected item to form title
        SetWindowText(Form1, text$) 
      END IF
    END IF
END SELECT
END EVENTS

' add a string
SUB addLB(idnr as HWND,ltext$)  
  SendMessage(idnr,LB_ADDSTRING,0,ltext$)
END SUB

' return selected string
Function getLB$(idnr as HWND) 
  LOCAL index, buf$

  index = SendMessage(idnr,LB_GETCURSEL,0,0)
  SendMessage (idnr,LB_GETTEXT,index,buf$)
  Function = buf$
END Function