True B, Prototyper
Volume Number: 4
Issue Number: 8
Column Tag: Basic School
True Basic & Prototyper Reviewed 
By Dave Kelly, Editorial Board
True Basic 2.01 Run Time Package
I promised you some more information about the new version of True Basic
(2.01). The good news is that you can now create double-clickable applications with
the runtime package that is included with the price of True Basic ($99.95 retail).This
price includes both a commercial and non-commercial license.There is no longer an
extra charge for the license for "unlimited commercial" use. The Bad news is that the
Developer's Toolkit is not included with the True Basic interpreter yet. UGH!
According to True Basic it will be available soon. The Developer’s Toolkit includes all
the ROM routines for creating the Macintosh User features we all know and love. As
much as I would like the Toolkit to be included with True Basic, they have come a long
way. After all, last time I reviewed this the runtime package was priced way out of
sight and even the interpreter was overpriced.
You are probably wondering about the runtime package and just what it is. I just
received a copy of the runtime package yesterday, but I can pass on to you some
information about it. The runtime includes two new libraries of routines, named
Bundle and Launch*. Bundle is a “compiled” True Basic program which sets up the
signature id of your application. Launch* consists of some routines for getting your
application’s name and getting the names of files to be opened or printed by the
application that were selected in the finder when the application was run. Two
application files are included in the runtime package too. RTP is an application shell
program which is that base of all applications that you will create. RTP contains the
ENTIRE True Basic interpreter and is used as the shell which will ‘run’ your program
after it is attached. The other application is named Binder and is used to combined
compiled True Basic programs with the RTP application so that they can now be
considered one application. The RTP application (the interpreter) consists of 73K of
True Basic standard packages so you should be aware that your programs will always
be at least 73K in size. That may be bad news, but at least the application can be
created.
True Basic has one of the most extensive sets of library routines available for
any language. Some of these routines are very valuable for scientific/engineering
applications. True Basic Inc. says that all the original versions of the libraries work
with True Basic 2.01 except for the Developer’s Toolkit and the Communications
Support package. Both of these have been updated to work with version 2.01. The
Developer’s Toolkit, as I mentioned before, contains all the latest Macintosh ROM
routine calls. Some of the libraries available include: Business Graphics Toolkit,
Scientific Graphics Toolkit, 3D Graphics, Communications Support, Forms
Management, Sorting and Searching, Advanced String Library, and Mathematician’s
Toolkit. All of these are list price of $69.95 each. They are probably worth it if you
think you need the function they perform.
To give you a little feel for the runtime package I have included the following
short program which makes use of the launch* library. The program displays the
files which were selected in the finder launch of the application.
! Runtime Demo
Referenced by (2):