ACON

• Must run on each Unix/Linux/BSD platform, including MacOSX
• Converted sourcecode must be compilable with GCC
• Must resemble genuine BASIC with implicit variable delarations
• Spoken language constructs are preferred

 News

• October 1, 2013: BaCon 2.3.0 released - see CHANGES. Documentation updated.
• August 1, 2013: BaCon 2.2.0 released - see CHANGES. Documentation updated.
• April 1, 2013: BaCon 2.0 build 1 released - see CHANGES. Documentation updated.
• February 1, 2013: BaCon 1.0 build 29 released - see CHANGES. Documentation updated.
• December 1, 2012: BaCon 1.0 build 28 released - see CHANGES. Documentation updated.
• October 1, 2012: BaCon 1.0 build 27 released - see CHANGES. Documentation updated.
• June 1, 2012: BaCon 1.0 build 26 released - see CHANGES. Documentation updated.
• March 1, 2012: BaCon 1.0 build 25 released - see CHANGES. Documentation updated.
• January 13, 2012: Jens Staal is porting BaCon to Plan9 - the progress can be observed here.
• November 1, 2011: BaCon 1.0 build 24 released - see CHANGES. Documentation updated.
• July 1, 2011: BaCon 1.0 build 23 released - see CHANGES. Documentation updated.

Downloads

BaCon Sources version 2.3.0

• BaCon Kornshell/ZShell version
• BaCon Bash version (requires BASH 3.2 or higher)
• BaCon BaCon version
• BaCon standalone GUI version for GTK 2.x Solaris screenshot here and a Linux screenshot here
• BaCon standalone GUI version for GTK 3.x Windows using Cygwin/X screenshot here
• BaCon CHANGES


• Autoconf source package for BaCon here
• Autoconf source package for BaConGUI here

BaCon Precompiled Binaries and Packages

• Debian/Ubuntu/Mint/Bodhi
• BaCon .deb install package here version 2.3.0 (64bit).
• BaConGUI .deb install package here version 2.3.0 (64bit).


• Puppy Linux
• Install packages for Puppy Linux here.


• Redhat 5.x, 6.x, Fedora, CentOS
• BaCon .rpm install package here version 2.3.0 (64bit). 


• Tru64Unix
• Setld install package for Tru64 Unix v5.1 here version 2.1.6.

IDE Related

• Configuration files for the Geany editor here and here created by Tomaaz
• Application icon here or this nice icon created by Fragadelic
• GtkSourceView syntax file for editors like gedit, Anjuta or Scribes
• VIM syntax file and some VIM macros for BaCon
• Logo for VIM toolbar - convert and Logo for VIM toolbar - run
• IDE: TinyIDE for BaCon

Documentation

• BaCon documentation online or as PDF or as a plain txt file or as a genuine manpage.
• Need more information about BaCon? Ask the forum.
• More questions about various BASIC dialects can be asked here.

Other

• Current development versions of BaCon are in the beta directory.
• Some older BaCon versions can be found in the museum.

Demonstration programs

• Base64 encoder here
• Base64 decoder here
• The Zeller algorithm here
• UTF8 encoder here
• Simple calculator program here
• CGI demonstration here
• GTK-server demo here and a Glade file here
• Brainfuck interpreter here
• Respace files here
• ROT13 encoder/decoder here
• Mastermind game here and a screenshot
• My favorite oneliner
• Recursive fibonacci and factorial functions
• Walk through a directory tree here
• Generate prime numbers here
• Generate m3u files here
• Convert decimal to Roman here and vice versa here
• A Quine program here, a smaller Quine here, even smaller here, and smaller here
• DPI calculator here created by Vovchik
• A simple GOPHER client here
• System boot time here
• Binary file dumper here
• BaCon Bullshit Bingo here created by Vovchik
• Password generator here created by Vovchik
• Testing randomness program here created by Vovchik
• The Soundex algorithm here created by Vovchik
• The Metaphone algorithm here created by Vovchik
• The Double Metaphone algorithm here created by Vovchik
• BaCon On This Day here created by Vovchik
• Calculate netmask here
• Console sinus waves here
• Check remote site here modified version here by Vovchik
• Get the weather here created by Vovchik
• Benchmark program for BaCon, for BCX and for newLisp
• Binary downloads here
• Simple BaCon Shell here
• Some goniometric functions here created by Vovchik
• Picture scaling here created by Vovchik
• Whois lookup here
• Fetch all BaCon programs here
• 99 beers on the wall here created by Vovchik
• Haiku generator here
• Genetive Algorithm here
• Print Unicode here
• Expanded 'which' here created by Vovchik
• BMI calculator here created by Vovchik
• Happy Numbers here created by Vovchik
• Play an MP3 file here
• How to use small BaCon keywords here and a full lowercase mapping here
• An MD5 calculator here created by Vovchik
• SuperFastHash here by Peter Fedorow
• Run-Length Encoder here and a Decoder here
• LZ77 Encoder here and a Decoder here
• SCTP scan here
• A simple webserver here
• Calculate md5sum here
• Console based editor here

BaCon language extensions

Wrappers

• INCLUDE: Highlevel Universal GUI here
• Documentation: online  
• Import definitions when using HUG as a shared object: HUG imports
• A remake of Color Lines and a screenshot  
• A remake of Qix and a screenshot
• A BaCon Forum checker and a screenshot by Tomaaz
• System graphical disk fill and a screenshot by Vovchik
• The 15 puzzle game and a screenshot
• Example moving stars demonstration (screenshot)
• Example Plasma demonstration (screenshot)
• Example OpenGL canvas program (screenshot)
• Haiku generator here with picture and a screenshot by Vovchik
• The game of Inversi and a screenshot
• Example Dancing Letter Generator program (screenshot) and a HTML version here by Vovchik
• Example Network Calculator program (screenshot)
• Example screensaver program
• Example Twitter Updater program (screenshot)
• Example Password Manager program (screenshot)
• The Bullshit Bingo GUI version by Vovchik and a screenshot
• Example M3U program (screenshot)
• Example dictionary program (screenshot and a Win32 screenshot)
• Example clock program (screenshot)
• Example fractal program (screenshot)
• The Pikona Icon Assembler by Vovchik and a screenshot


• INCLUDE: SQLite Database Engine here
• Documentation: SQLite
• Another example program: here created by Vovchik
• Example program: demonstration


• INCLUDE: GNU Multiple Precision Arithmetic Library here
• Documentation: gmp
• Example program: demonstration


• INCLUDE: Beep the PC Speaker here
• Example program: piano

Interfaces

• INCLUDE: OpenAL library here
• INCLUDE: ALUT library here
• Hello world demonstration


• INCLUDE: CURL library here created by Doyle Whisenant
• Download binary file over FTP: demonstration by Doyle Whisenant
• Upload binary file over FTP: demonstration by Doyle Whisenant
• Download binary file over FTP: demonstration
• Download binary file over HTTP: demonstration
• Store HTTPS website into variable: demonstration
• Print HTTP website: demonstration


• INCLUDE: MySQL Database Engine here
• Example MySQL client: demonstration


• INCLUDE: Lua Library here
• Example 'sum' demonstration with a Lua program created by Doyle Whisenant
• Example 'hello' demonstration with a Lua program created by Doyle Whisenant


• INCLUDE: POSIX Threads Library here
• Documentation: POSIX Threads
• Multithreaded TCP server: here
• Example threads program: demonstration


• INCLUDE: nCurses Library here
• INCLUDE: Form Library here
• INCLUDE: Panel Library here
• Documentation: curses
• Example curses program: demonstration and another one here
• Example form program: demonstration
• Example panel program: demonstration and another one here


• INCLUDE: GD Drawing Library here
• Documentation: libgd
• Example GIF animation: demonstration and an animated screenshot
• Example drawing program: demonstration and a screenshot


• INCLUDE: Glade library here
• INCLUDE: Gtk library here
• INCLUDE: Gdk library here
• INCLUDE: GtkGlArea library here
• INCLUDE: GtkGlExt library here
• Documentation: GTK
• Full GTK application: Tray Icon for Puppy Linux with an icon and a screenshot by Doyle Whisenant and Vovchik
• GTK example: Source Code Editor with GtkSourceView here and a screenshot
• Glade example: calculator program here and a screenshot
• Glade example: demonstration here and a Glade file here
• GTK example: Go program here and a screenshot
• GTK example: demonstration here and a screenshot
• GTK code snippet#4: here
• GTK code snippet#3: here and a screenshot
• GTK code snippet#2: here and a screenshot
• GTK code snippet#1: here
• GTK example: demonstration here and a screenshot


• INCLUDE: GLUT library here
• INCLUDE: GLU library here
• INCLUDE: GL library here
• Documentation: OpenGL, GLU, Glut
• Example plasma program (screenshot)
• Example stars program (screenshot)
• Example fractal program (screenshot)
• Example molehill program (screenshot)
• Example stroke program (screenshot)
• Example worms program (screenshot)
• Example blender program (screenshot)
• Example gears program (screenshot)
• Example Teapot program (screenshot) - link with external library!

User contributed functions

• TXT2BIN function here
• WORD$ function here
• STRCMP function here
• Many conversion functions here
• EXTRACT function here
• LTRIM function here
• PARSECOUNT function here
• PARSESTR function here
• REMAIN function here
• REPLACE function here
• RTRIM function here
• TALLY function here
• TRIM function here

Test programs

Similar projects and other links

• BCX - The Open Source BASIC to C Translator for Windows (Win32)
• Agora BASIC - BASIC compiler for POSIX systems using intermediate C code (Unix - 2008)
• b2c: BASIC to C translator (Unix - 2002)
• GNU/Liberty Basic Compiler Collection - produces C source code from Liberty Basic source code (Unix/Win32 - 2001)
• BASIC to C Translator (Win32 - 2001)
• qbcc - an open source BASIC to C translator (Win32/DOS - 2000)
• qb2c: QuickBASIC to ANSI C translator (Unix - 1998)
• Translate BASIC programs into obfuscated C programs (Unix - 1991)
• Commodore BASIC V2 as a scripting language (Unix, MacOSX, Win32)

FAQ

• How to install BACON?
Download BaCon, either the BASH or Kornshell/ZSH version. Then set the executable rights: 'chmod +x bacon'. Run './bacon -?' to see usage.


• What version of Kornshell is required? What version of ZShell is required? What version of BASH is required?
For Kornshell, any version will do. For ZShell, version 4.x or higher is required. For BASH, version 3.2 or higher is required,
version 4.x recommended.


• How is this converter licensed?
BaCon is licensed under the GPL version 3 license.


• Why does BaCon need BASH or Kornshell, a.k.a. why was BaCon implemented in shell script?


1. Shell script was chosen to ensure maximum Unix compatibility; on each Unix version and Linux distribution a Kornshell or
   BASH can be found.
2. Now only one program has to be downloaded to perform Basic-to-C conversion, so no hazzle to download different kinds of
   binaries for all the different Unix versions with their particular binary formats and dependencies.

If you think this is impossible or strange or lame, refer to the common Kornshell website where Kornshell is described as a
command and programming language. Note that a standalone BaCon binary always can be created by compiling the BaCon version
of BaCon.


• Do we really need to write BaCon keywords in capitals?
Yes, we do. This is a consequence of the fundamental decision to pass expressions as-they-are to the C compiler, which otherwise
may cause name conflicts with existing C keywords and C functions from external libraries. However, it can be worked around
by using the C Preprocessor. An example program can be found here and a full lowercase mapping here.


• The generated C code is hard to read!
That maybe so, as it never has been the intention to generate perfect readable C source code. However, the generated code is
portable and compilable on most Unix flavors (see below).


• How to compile GTK programs in OpenBSD?
Compile as follows: ./bacon -l pthread gtkprogram.bac


• How about a Win32 Version?
That will never be. This project started just because there was no decent BASIC to C converter for Unix. However, BaCon
works in a Cygwin environment. For Windows, a native Basic to C converter can be found here.


• So what is the difference between BaCon and the recently released Linux BCX?
Linux BCX needs a C++ compiler. Furthermore check out this list.


• Where can I find more free BASIC interpreters and compilers?
Check out the website of The Free Country, they have a lot of programming tools for all kinds of languages!


• Is there any relation with this BACON Basic converter or the Bacon programming language?
No.


• Why are you maintaining this project? Who are you anyway?
The Finnish programmer Kristian Virtanen held an interview with me, read it here.


• How to provide feedback on this project?
There is a Message Board where all issues and problems can be logged.


• Is there some other way I can help?

You might consider to provide a donation to keep BaCon free:

• Which platforms are supported?

Last update: October 1, 2013 - © Peter van Eerten. The canonical URL for this page is http://www.basic-converter.org The background for this page came from http://www.allfreebackgrounds.com This page was created by hand with is my current Euler rating using BaCon. to help the ongoing development of BaCon.