Hi Ed,

As per our conversation enclosed is Quick Basic.
This is based on Windows XP.

Step 1.
Make a folder under the C: drive called QB using Windows
Explorer.

Step 2.
Copy the zip file over to the QB folder using Windows Explorer.

Step 3.
Extract or unzip the QB.

Step 4.
Goto all programs > Accessories > Command Prompt
and click on it.  You will see something like C:\xxxx

Step 5.
type "CD .." and press return. Keep doing that until you see
"CD:\>"  You are now in the so called root directory.

Step 6.
Type "dir /p" this will give you the first page of a list
of all the folders on your C: hard drive in your computer.
Press return to see the next page. What you are looking
for is the QB folder. If it is there you have done everything
right so far. Keep pressing return until you get to the end
of the list.

Step 7
Type  "cd QB" and press return. You should see "C:\QB>"
Now type "QB" and return. You should then see something
that looks like the QB-screen.jpg on your screen.

You are now ready to learn how to program in Quick BASIC.
Read the tutorial qb-tut2.pdf and have a go.

QB is very similar to Atmel Basic.

Paul Lamar

My foray into programming is going well enough I suppose, that is,
with help from my beloved Filipina wife, who could never figure
out the "C" language, but understands Qbasic almost intuitively thus far.

The tutorial authors' personal syntax is wacky enough to throw
me off. He expects readers to understand what he means without
adequate explanation. Good thing my wife has already done some
of this, she sees through the genius facade because she struggled
with similar in the past.
I've been testing the language by changing the parameters within
the prescribed tutorial programs. Otherwise i am not sure what
it is doing. I should be through with this in a few days. Just
passed through page 9.

When I can see how things work, I understand them much easier. I
am hoping programming the atmel board will bring programming into
the light for me. I will be able to see reactions occur when I command them.

Ed Carver

You have to rely on PRINT as a debugging tool.
Just PRINT to the screen all your intermendaute results.
Here is a short program that does that. Each step
will be printed.

CLS 'clear screen
FOR x = 1 TO 10 'when it gets to 10 the program will stop.
PRINT x
y = x^2  'y = x squared
PRINT Y
z = x +1
PRINT z
NEXT X  'go back and do it again.
SYSTEM 'exit the program

QB is a general purpose language for doing all sorts of things
with the main output device the computer screen, a printer or a
file on the hard disk.

ZBasic is machine control with pins (wires) that are set at either 5 volts or
zero volts. These are the main output devices. These pins can control
all sorts of device like LED's, relays and motors.
It can also print on the screen however.

Here is a typical ZBasic program.

FOR x = 1 TO 10
Call PutPin(12, zxOutputLow)     'pin 12 will be at logic zero
Debug.Print " Pin 1 is low"      'send to screen
Call PutPin(12, zxOutputHigh)    'fire rotor 1 plugs
Debug.Print " Pin 1 is now high" 'send to screen
Call PutPin(12, zxOutputLow)     'pin 12 will be at logic zero
Debug.Print " Pin 1 is low"      'send to screen
FOR y = 1 TO 10,000  'delay for a while.
NEXT y
NEXT x 'go back and do it again.

Paul Lamar