Microsoft Small Basic: A Simple Program With Two Buttons

Here is a simple Small Basic program that uses two buttons. When a button is pressed, a window message pops up naming the button that was pressed.


GraphicsWindow.Show()
'Add the button labeled Exit
ExitButton = Controls.AddButton("Exit",20,50)
'Add the button labeled Hello
HelloButton = Controls.AddButton("Hello",20,20)
'When a button is clicked, call the ButtonsBeenClicked subroutine
Controls.ButtonClicked=ButtonsBeenClicked

Sub ButtonsBeenClicked
  'If the Hello button was clicked, display the message Hello Button Presssed
  If controls.LastClickedButton = HelloButton then
    GraphicsWindow.ShowMessage("Hello Button Pressed","Button Message")
    'Else if the Exit button was clicked, display the message Exit Button Pressed
    ElseIf controls.LastClickedButton = ExitButton then
      GraphicsWindow.ShowMessage("Exit Button Pressed","Button Message")
  EndIf
EndSub

Microsoft Small Basic: Where To Get Help

After downloading and installing Microsoft Small Basic and the free tutorial Introducing Small Basic, the next logical question is: "Okay. If I need help, where do I go?"

Of course, the first place I turned to was the Microsoft Small Basic Forum at MSDN

MSDN Small Basic Forum

Another place to get help is

Small Basic Web Site

If your primary goal is creating kid's games than this book might be very helpful

Programming Kid's Games With Microsoft Small Basic

Microsoft Small Basic: A Graphical Programming Language For Beginners

I've been tinkering with Microsoft Small Basic over the past several months. At the time of this writing, Microsoft Small Basic is available for free at the URL listed below.  Microsoft Small Basic is intended for beginners. The free tutorial is titled Introducing Small Basic and it is relatively easy to read and follow.

The editor is easy to use and the programmer is guided step by step through each program line the programmer types in. I like it very much.

I also purchased a book titled 'The Developer's Reference Guide to Microsoft Small Basic.'  This reference guide is actually a tutorial for anyone familiar with programming. It is a reference guide for beginners. And, thus far, it has been helpful. Unlike Visual Basic, Small Basic does not have the drag and drop feature for adding text boxes, buttons and drop down menus to a program. It is an object oriented graphics programming language, but the explanation is simple enough so that the programmer unfamiliar with object oriented programming can understand it.

I'll write more about Microsoft Small Basic as I explore it. Right now, I recommend it for anyone who wants to learn how to program.

Download Microsoft Small Basic Here

Look around for the Microsoft Small Basic Reference Guide. I was able to find one selling for $19.99 at Amazon. Here is a URL where you can purchase the Reference book. Unfortunately, the lower priced one is no longer listed.

Microsoft Small Basic Developers Reference Guide

Here is the URL for another Microsoft Small Basic Book:

Beginning Microsoft Small Basic