Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: Windows support for WIN32 apps in the future

« on: May 20, 2025, 10:39:36 am »

Background information about changes over the last few years as far as how Windows would handle WIN32 apps:

https://www.thurrott.com/windows/windows-11/284380/win32-app-isolation-enters-public-preview

https://www.thurrott.com/windows/314048/windows-11-microsoft-store-can-now-update-more-win32-apps

https://www.thurrott.com/windows/321175/build-2025-microsoft-store-improves-win32-apps-support-and-drops-onboarding-fees-for-individual-developers

2

General Discussion / Re: Windows support for WIN32 apps in the future

« on: May 20, 2025, 10:23:03 am »

I will post more info about this as it appears on the web.

Build 2025 is onging at this moment, so likely more will come out after Build is over.

https://www.xda-developers.com/microsoft-store-build-2025/

3

General Discussion / Re: Windows support for WIN32 apps in the future

« on: May 20, 2025, 10:19:34 am »

My take on this:

While this is a great new feature for WIN32 developers (ie. Powerbasic apps), it also tells us something about Microsofts attitude towards WIN32 support.

They would not add a feature like this to the Microsoft (Windows) Store if they desired to terminate WIN32 support any time soon. Maybe this is a good indicator of what to expect in Windows 12. As would be very surprised to see Microsoft do this and then remove all WIN32 support from Windows 12.

This seems (to me) to indicate that Microsoft wants to continue to support WIN32 apps in the future, but simply wants to make the use of WIN32 apps safer for end users, by controlling now only the  install process, but also the update process.

This is good news in my opinion.

4

General Discussion / Windows support for WIN32 apps in the future

« on: May 20, 2025, 10:12:22 am »

New exciting news from the latest Build 2025:

https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2024/12/04/announcing-windows-11-insider-preview-build-27758-canary-channel/

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsdeveloper/2024/12/03/raising-the-bar-updates-to-the-microsoft-store-on-windows/

Microsoft has just announced that the Microsoft Store is soon going to support WIN32 app updates via the store.

The MS Store supports downloading of WIN32 apps. But updating had to be handled by the developers own website externally.

Now the MS Store will support not only downloading WIN32 apps, but also the store can handle updates of the same WIN32 app.

5

EZGUI 5 support forum / Re: MIDI Controls Under Windows 11

« on: May 06, 2025, 08:02:49 am »

MIDI works under Windows 11.

That said, Windows 11 may not come with the audio/video codec you may use in the audio/video file. There are many codecs available today and an installation of Windows may not come with a specific codec you require.

I would do some research into what audio/video codecs Windows 11 normally ships with and make sure your audio file uses a more up to date codec.

So the issue is most likely not with MIDI (MCI control) but with codecs.

6

EZGUI 5 support forum / Re: Light/Dark Mode

« on: April 05, 2025, 08:14:23 am »

An example:

Code: [Select]

     EZ_StartCList "Form1", ""
     Count&=EZ_GetCListCount
     IF Count&>0 THEN
          FOR N&=1 TO Count&
              ID& = EZ_GetCListID(N&)
              Class$ = EZ_GetCListClass(N&,1)
              hWnd& = EZ_GetCListHandle(N&)
          NEXT N&
     END IF
     EZ_EndCList


7

EZGUI 5 support forum / Re: Light/Dark Mode

« on: April 05, 2025, 08:12:29 am »

There is a section in Help file:

"Your EZ Guide to EZGUI"
... "Forms"
... ... "Enumerating a Forms Controls"

The available commands are:

EZ_StartCList
EZ_EndCList
EZ_GetCListCount
EZ_GetCListID
EZ_GetCListClass
EZ_GetCListHandle

You start an enumeration task with EZ_StartCList.

Then you can get info about the controls on the form using the other functions and then finish the enumration task with EZ_CList.

8

EZGUI 5 support forum / Re: Light/Dark Mode

« on: April 03, 2025, 04:47:33 pm »

EZGUI provides enumeration commands so you can walk through all the controls on a form.

In controls you desire to allow changing their color you can change their color enmass for a form in the forms %EZ_Loaded event before the form is visible.

Once a form is visible and the user changes color mode, you can disable the forms redraw state, enumerate all the controls and change their colors as desired, enable the forms redraw state and then force the form to redraw itself.

Use a Global variable to track the color mode state and store that in the registry so it can be automatically set when the app is run again.

It will require a little effort, but it is quite doable.

There are functions which can tell you want the class (type) of control it is when you enumerate through them.

For ownerdraw stuff it will be a little more complicated, since you have to custom the ownerdraw routine so it can change colors.

9

EZGUI 5 support forum / Re: Issue with EZGUI.INC

« on: February 15, 2025, 04:53:01 pm »

One consideration is when one tries to combine EZGUI with the PB DDT stuff. Don't know if you tried that or not.

I recommend not to use the PB DDT command set with EZGUI. One can use the WIN32 API, but rather than include the WIN32 API includes, I always recommend copying just the API declarations you require into your EZGUI app.

10

Powerbasic / Re: Welcome

« on: January 31, 2025, 06:55:15 pm »

PB forums are back up and running.

11

Other BASIC languages / Other Basic languages worth checking out

« on: January 28, 2025, 11:59:23 am »

Here is a short list of other Basic languages worth checking out:

Oxygen (O2) Basic compiler (32 bit and 64 bit) :   https://github.com/Charles-Pegge/OxygenBasic

PluriBasic (generates apps for a variety of platforms):   https://www.patreon.com/c/pluribasic/posts

ThinBasic (interpreter) :  https://www.thinbasic.com/

12

WIN32 Programming / Where to download Windows SDK

« on: January 28, 2025, 11:48:45 am »

To use the WIN32 API in Windows successfully I strongly recommend downloading the Windows SDK (Software Development Kit) to get the WIN32 docs.

You can download the latest SDK for Windows 11 here:

https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/windows-sdk/

Personally I find that it is better to use an older version of the SDK for q quick reference, since it leaves out much of the "bleeding edge" API's of later versions of Windows such as Windows 10 and 11. I find that the Windows 7 SDK is the best one to use for everyday reference. You can download it here:

https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/sdk-archive/

Scroll down to the Windows 7 download link on the above webpage.

I use the Windows 7 SDK for everyday quick reference use (it is less bloated and easier to traverse) and also double check API docs online for Windows 11 (the latest).

For the latest docs online go here:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/api-reference/

13

FreeBasic / Where to download FreeBasic

« on: January 28, 2025, 11:41:44 am »

Freebasic is a popular open source BASIC programming language. It can be downloaded at the link below:

https://freebasic.net/

14

BCX (Basic to C) Transpiler / Where to download BCX

« on: January 28, 2025, 11:40:11 am »

BCX is an excellent BASIC programming language. It is not a compiler, but a transpiler.

At least that is the term I like to use. It generates C code from the Basic and then compiles using a C compiler as a backend.

You can get more info about BCX here:

https://www.bcxbasiccoders.com/

15

Powerbasic / Welcome

« on: January 28, 2025, 11:33:42 am »

Welcome to the Powerbasic section of my forums. The Powerbasic website and forums both currently are down and no indication they will return.
If you would like access to this forum just email me a request to join (real names required).

chrisboss@centurylink.net

or

support@cwsof.com

I personally have decades of experience with the Powerbasic compilers and still use them.
I also have decades of experience with the WIN32 API.

Chris Boss