TxBasic Forum

jmdubois

Administrator

From: France

Registered: 2018-01-25

Posts: 57

About the author

My name is Jean-Michel Dubois. I was one of the first users of OASIS 8 in 1981 on an Intertechnique IN55 computer. In 1991 I became Technical Manager at Theos France and IBC (Integrated Business Computers) France. So, I have an intimate knowledge of Theos Corona, MultiUser Basic and other TSC products. During my carreer I ported or wrote several general purpose software for Theos 2.x, 4.x and Corona, like MicroEmacs a powerful editor, a FTP server for Theos 4.x or ZIP/UNZIP.

I am also the author of DataServer a network server allowing DataClient, a Windows OCX, to connect to files hosted on Theox 4.x and Corona with methods similar to Theos Basic statements (READ, READNEXT, DELETE, etc.). Any programming language supporting OCX can connect to Theos files through DataClient and DataServer.

Three years ago, I released TQL, a SQL client for standard Theos files.

Alongside, I also develop software on Windows and Linux in domains like network, photography, terminal emulators and was the technical support of CET Software in France.

In January 2016, when Red Hat announced the end of their 32 bit distribution I started to write a 64 bit CET Basic compatible compiler for Linux. In March 2016, a first version was running and since then, I added all the modern features a powerful Basic should have like mouse, window, multitasking, TRY, CATCH, ENUM, STRUCTURE, CLASS, etc..

Because one of my customers uses a lot of EXEC to glue its Basic programs, I also wrote txexec, an EXEC language interpreter for Linux and many commands allowing Theos users to feel easy on Linux.

NorthIdahoTomJones

Member

From: North Idaho

Registered: 2018-06-15

Posts: 4

Website

Re: About the author

Hello jmdubois

I just now discovered your BASIC site - and just now registered as NorthIdahoTomJones so that I can access your forum/web site.

Like you, I also go way back prior to IBC (Integrated Business Computers).  My former father-in-law was one of the original finical investors to help get IBC started.  Back then, my company SYZYGY Computer Systems in Southern California was also an IBC repair center and we also offered medical/dental/billing systems.  When IBC came out running OASYS, we switched to IBC hardware.  Those days are now of the distant past.  Do you rember the IBC president Randy Rogers ?  When IBC closed down, Randy came to work for/with me at a computer/design company.

FYI - did you know that the author of OASIS "Timothy W Williams" had a back-door ^t^s^w login for the old 8-Bit OASIS which gave you a privilege level of 255 !

Anyways - I hope and wish you well in offering a free version of BASIC which some of us ol-timers can play with on some Ubuntu Linux machines - I look forward to remembering BASIC and using ISAM files again.  It's been nearly 30 years since I wrote a decent program other than some basic shell programming on Linux.

North Idaho Tom Jones

jmdubois

Administrator

From: France

Registered: 2018-01-25

Posts: 57

Re: About the author

Welcome here Tom.

Of course I remember well Randy Rogers. How is he doing ?

NorthIdahoTomJones

Member

From: North Idaho

Registered: 2018-06-15

Posts: 4

Website

Re: About the author

Hello Tom,

Of course I remember well Randy Rogers. How is he doing ?

O - that was back when IBC went out of business.  I moved out of Southern California in the late 1990s and have not heard from anybody in California since.

Ya gotta admit
IBC was pretty fast in it's day
I kinda think part of the downfall for IBC was no industry standard bus for cards.  Which made it impossible to add new types of hardware.  Then later on IBC 16-bit processors you were pretty much locked into only the operating systems IBC ported.

Question - do you remember ever seeing a SYZYGY RS-232 Test-Set (the little db-25 male-female pass-through with the little red lights (rtc,cts,dte ...) ?  That was me

Anyways , I'm kinda looking forward to seeing if I can write a simple database application in BASIC on your BASIC.  Just trying to figure out where to download it for Ubuntu then want to see how much of the OASYS/TheOS BASIC I remember.

If the FxBasic and/or TxBasic is even anywhere close to the features of what I remember OASYS/TheOS BASIC having , then you just might have one of the best BASIC's for Linux out of them.  I would really like to see BASIC come back.
Tom Jones

Last edited by NorthIdahoTomJones (2018-06-15 23:42:36)

jmdubois

Administrator

From: France

Registered: 2018-01-25

Posts: 57

Re: About the author

Question - do you remember ever seeing a SYZYGY RS-232 Test-Set (the little db-25 male-female pass-through with the little red lights (rtc,cts,dte ...) ?  That was me

I often used it.

FxBasic and TxBasic are 99.x% compatible with OASYS/THEOS Basic and CET Basic. If a program runs fine with them, it runs fine with FxBasic or TxBasic. Of course, FxBasic has a few limitations because it's a free tool.