New in 2.00: graphics screens, sprites and three-voice music, 45 sample programs with games to play and take apart, and a help page for every command.
MCX Basic is a BASIC interpreter for the Mac in the style of the home computers of the 1980s. Type numbered program lines at the prompt, type RUN, and your program prints, draws, moves sprites and plays music.
WRITE AND RUN
• A console like a home computer's: direct commands, numbered lines, LIST in colour, AUTO and RENUM, and Esc to stop a program.
• The whole language: IF … THEN … ELSE, FOR … NEXT, GOSUB, ON … GOTO, DATA and READ, DEF FN, PRINT USING, arrays, strings, integer and floating-point numbers, error handling and files.
• Programs are plain text files (.bas) that you can open, save and print.
GRAPHICS AND SOUND
• Graphics screens with up to 256 colours: LINE, CIRCLE, PAINT, DRAW, PSET and POINT.
• Sprites with collision detection, a colour palette, pages, and COPY to move parts of the picture.
• Music with PLAY on three voices, plus SOUND and BEEP.
LEARN FROM EXAMPLES
• 47 sample programs that load with one click: first steps, loops, arrays, strings, files, drawings, and games such as Snake, Bricks, Road race and Lander. Play them, then read how they work.
• A help page for each of the 122 commands and functions, with an example and what it shows.
• A 69-page user manual (PDF) that introduces programming in BASIC.
GOOD TO KNOW
• Commands for the hardware of the original machines (memory and ports, joysticks, the printer, machine code) are not included.
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Utterly incomprehensible
John-MD
MS QuickBASIC had a window for writing programs and a window for showing the results of running the program. This worthless app shows only one window. It apparently shows the results of running the program in the very same window that the program is written in. I could write a program, but it had an error due to so many basic functions being missing, and after that I could not get the program to run again. Incomprehensible. Waste of $5. I saw the recent bad reviews but bought it anyway. My mistake.
Developer Response
Thank you for the feedback. MCX Basic works like the home computers of the 1980s rather than QuickBASIC: you type numbered lines, LIST shows the program and RUN runs it in the same console. After an error, type the corrected line and RUN again. Version 2.00 has a new interpreter with 122 commands and functions, each with a help page and an example.
Short On Promise
Jon Doh
The author claims this basic is based on GW Basic. However, it is missing so many of the crucial commands in GW Basic so as to render the application useless for serious programming. For example, there is no Locate command, on error goto command nor is there any way to output to a printer. The old simple Sinclair ZX81 computer with membrane keyboard had more functions than are in this app. I truly wish there was a decent basic program for the Mac, but unfortunately there isn’t.
Developer Response
Thanks for the list. Version 2.00 has a new interpreter: LOCATE, ON ERROR GOTO with RESUME, ERR and ERL, PRINT USING, files, graphics, sprites and sound are all there. Printing from a program (LPRINT) is not, but File > Print prints the listing, and the print dialog can save it as a PDF.
Does not work
DigitalJet
I was looking for a simple but usable BASIC. This looked like just what I was looking for. Does not work at all. Can not edit lines of basic by line number. Can not run simple program. Poor to non-existant documentation. Commands listed by HELP do not work. Really disappointed. No other BASIC programming option in App Store. I would think there would be a market for this if it worked. Too bad.Will check back to see if future releases work as I really want to use this.
Developer Response
Thank you for wanting to come back to it. Version 2.00 is a new MCX Basic: type a line with its number to add or replace it, LIST shows the program and RUN runs it. Every command has a help page with an example, there is a 69-page manual, and 45 sample programs load with one click.
Really poor support
edmap1
It’s up to you to figure out, no support whatsoever, good luck!
Developer Response
Sorry about that. Version 2.00 comes with a help page for every command, a 69-page user manual and 45 sample programs, and you can reach us at support@neronov.net.
• MCX Basic runs on macOS 11 Big Sur again.
• Two new sample programs work with money: Loan payments and Savings plan.
• Programs copied from web pages or notes with curly quotes (“ ”) now run.
• Corrections in the help.
Version 2.1.0
The developer, Aleksei Neronov, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
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