This might be a good extension..

Question

How about a "plot" extension.

It initializes a window.

You can tell it the size and range of the x and y axis. You can also specify labels for the axises.
For example if you are plotting a sine function, perhaps you want the coordinates on the x axis to
run from - 2*pi to 2*pi, and the y axis perhaps should run from -1.5 to 1.5

plot.xaxis(-6.28, 6.28, "Sine", "Ticks")
plot.yaxis(-1.5, 1.5, "", "NoTicks)

for x = -6.28 to 6.28 step .1
    plot.point(x,math.sin(x))
endfor

This would generate a nice sine plot with 2 axises.

This is not exactly like the graphics.window because it is self-scaling, It simplifies
plotting for the user.

The inspiration for this is the plotting routines for the HP87 computer.

Answer 1

This looks like a good project to write in SmallBasic rather than having it done by new commands; the purpose of SB is to learn programming using a small set of easily remembered commands rather than using a large menu of high level functions.  You could write some subroutines that use an array of x,y data, work out the limits of the data and generate an appropriately scaled plot (converting data coordinates to pixels) with labels etc within a defined region of the GraphicsWindow.

Answer 2

This looks like a good project to write in SmallBasic rather than having it done by new commands; the purpose of SB is to learn programming using a small set of easily remembered commands rather than using a large menu of high level functions.  You could write some subroutines that use an array of x,y data, work out the limits of the data and generate an appropriately scaled plot (converting data coordinates to pixels) with labels etc within a defined region of the GraphicsWindow.

I agree with you, here. Small Basic should not provide tons of functions, but let them be wrotten by users. This is the intent.
Small Basic should only provide functions that could otherwhise not be wrotten in Small Basic by a beginner.

A small thing that would help in this situation is implementing C#/VB.NET-like extension. With those languages, you can extend objects.

I propose a syntax like :

    Sub Plot.DrawCurve(data) ' This is a sub like any other, except that it seems to be in a "Plot" namespace in the intellisense.
        DrawCurve_X = 0
        DrawCurve_LastPoint = ""
        DrawCurve_CurrentPoint = ""
        While (data[DrawCurve_X]["X"] <> "") And (data[DrawCurve_X]["Y"] <> "")
           DrawCurve_LastPoint = DrawCurve_CurrentPoint
           DrawCurve_CurrentPoint = data[DrawCurve_X]
           ' ...
           ' Do something with the point
           ' ...
        EndWhile
    EndSub

    curve1[0]["X"] = ...
    curve1[0]["Y"] = ...
    ...
    
    Plot.DrawCurve(curve1)

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Fremy - Developer in VB.NET, C# and JScript ... - Feel free to try my extension

Answer 3

An extension like this would make small basic more attractive to math student who are not really in it for programming.

Fremy  - Small basic does not have parameters in it's subroutine calls, or was that some other language?

I understand you want to keep the syntax simple for new programmers, since this would be an optional extension
(You don't have to install it if you don't want to) that would only add one item to the top level help wheel I don't think
it violates that goal.

Yes I suppose I could write a general curve plotter in small basic (does small basic even have include files?) but it would
add variables to the variable pool (I'd have to name them like 'PlotXAxisTitle' = "Sine" 'PlotData' (an array). ugh.)
not simple or clean.

Answer 4

@Ron: The intent of Small Basic is to learn programmation the people.
If Small Basic provide a function for each thing a beginner can need,
the beginner will not learn to create functions as everything he need
already exsits.

My code is Small Basic 2.7 :-)
In fact, it's a propossal to allow to create extensions of Small Basic in
Small Basic Language, allowing to create exensions that don't polluate
the variable pool. Each "imported" sb file would have its own variable
pool, only subs would be shared. It's possible to create "objects" by
writing "Sub MyObj.TheSub". It needs parameters, too.

Yes, it needs to register the file in a sort of header like :
   
   Use "PlotExtension.sb"
   Use "FC.SmallBasic.Complements.dll"
   
   ' Your small basic program

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Fremy - Developer in VB.NET, C# and JScript ... - Feel free to try my extension

Answer 5

What is this Small Basic 2.7 of which you speak?

Us mortals only have 0.5 : ^ o

Answer 6

What is this Small Basic 2.7 of which you speak?

It was a joke. It was to speak about a non-existant version of Small Basic.

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Fremy - Developer in VB.NET, C# and JScript ... - Feel free to try my extension

Answer 7

Oh, I thought you were the developer of small basic and thus had access to unreleased versions.

Answer 8

I'm not sure how useful SB is for much math (at least scientific math) at this point, it can't handle large numbers or scientific notation.

Answer 9

The objective would be to create specific programs.
You may have to use many time the same set of formula to get what you want.

Or you may write a program that you can reuse. Small Basic is a good language
for people that don't have made programs yet but that want to make their first apps.

But after some time, they would probably use another language like VB.NET or C#.

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Fremy - Developer in VB.NET, C# and JScript ... - Feel free to try my extension

Answer 10

Hey Bigdadyo

1x10^27 ain't bad..

true = 1
false = 0
TextWindow.Show()
c = 1
TextWindow.WriteLine("Starting")
b = 0
a = true
While a=true
  b = b + 1
  c = 10 * c
  TextWindow.Write(b+" ")
  TextWindow.WriteLine(c)
  If b = 30 Then
    a = false
  endif
EndWhile
TextWindow.WriteLine("Done")

Gets up to 28 before it overflows.

BTW arent there actual values for True and False?
I sort of makeshifed them here.

Answer 11

Take a look at SNC433
 
It would have greatly benefited from the plot window extension. Import it and see the
hoops I had to jump through to scale the plotting and to handle the graphic window being
re-sized. Not having a "graphics" background I had to experiment to get everything just right

As long as the program is running and re-plotting the bell curve you can re-size the graphic
window. I usually shorten the text window to a few lines and widen the graphic window to match the text
window in width.