Re: Embedded Basic interpreter recommendations?

On Mon, 9 Mar 2009 11:04:03 -0700, "John Speth" <>
wrote:

>Hi everybody-
>
>This question comes up from time to time from various posters but it never
>gets an answer that fits my specific needs. Here goes:
>
>Would anyone be able to recommend a free embedded basic interpreter with C
>source code?
>
>My intended target is the STM32 which probably has enough RAM for small
>programs. My intent is to create an embedded controller board with a serial
>port that will expose a Basic interpreter/monitor to a terminal emulator.
>The user will be able to interactively enter numbered program lines,
>save/load the program to/from flash, execute the program, and run Basic
>commands in immediate mode (non-numbered lines). It's meant to be a tool
>for interactive experimentation of embedded concepts by non-programmer
>types. I suppose it's much like a Basic Stamp.
>
>I know "free" and all those features above is a tall order but if I can find
>an extensible package with some of those features it would be good too.

Does it have to be BASIC ? If not then LUA might be a good option.

Regards
Anton Erasmus

On Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:28:40 +0200, Anton Erasmus
<> wrote:

>On Mon, 9 Mar 2009 11:04:03 -0700, "John Speth" <>
>wrote:
>
>>Hi everybody-
>>
>>This question comes up from time to time from various posters but it never
>>gets an answer that fits my specific needs. Here goes:
>>
>>Would anyone be able to recommend a free embedded basic interpreter with C
>>source code?
>>
>>My intended target is the STM32 which probably has enough RAM for small
>>programs. My intent is to create an embedded controller board with a serial
>>port that will expose a Basic interpreter/monitor to a terminal emulator.
>>The user will be able to interactively enter numbered program lines,
>>save/load the program to/from flash, execute the program, and run Basic
>>commands in immediate mode (non-numbered lines). It's meant to be a tool
>>for interactive experimentation of embedded concepts by non-programmer
>>types. I suppose it's much like a Basic Stamp.
>>
>>I know "free" and all those features above is a tall order but if I can find
>>an extensible package with some of those features it would be good too.
>
>Does it have to be BASIC ? If not then LUA might be a good option.
>
>Regards
> Anton Erasmus

I think the "non-programmer types" part of the OP's discussion points
otherwise.

Jon

On Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:51:46 +0100, David Brown
<> wrote:

>Jon Kirwan wrote:
>> On Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:28:40 +0200, Anton Erasmus
>> <> wrote:
>>
>>> On Mon, 9 Mar 2009 11:04:03 -0700, "John Speth" <>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi everybody-
>>>>
>>>> This question comes up from time to time from various posters but it never
>>>> gets an answer that fits my specific needs. Here goes:
>>>>
>>>> Would anyone be able to recommend a free embedded basic interpreter with C
>>>> source code?
>>>>
>>>> My intended target is the STM32 which probably has enough RAM for small
>>>> programs. My intent is to create an embedded controller board with a serial
>>>> port that will expose a Basic interpreter/monitor to a terminal emulator.
>>>> The user will be able to interactively enter numbered program lines,
>>>> save/load the program to/from flash, execute the program, and run Basic
>>>> commands in immediate mode (non-numbered lines). It's meant to be a tool
>>>> for interactive experimentation of embedded concepts by non-programmer
>>>> types. I suppose it's much like a Basic Stamp.
>>>>
>>>> I know "free" and all those features above is a tall order but if I can find
>>>> an extensible package with some of those features it would be good too.
>>> Does it have to be BASIC ? If not then LUA might be a good option.
>>>
>>> Regards
>>> Anton Erasmus
>>
>> I think the "non-programmer types" part of the OP's discussion points
>> otherwise.
>>
>
>For a non-programmer doing simple commands, Lua is not really any more
>difficult than Basic. And if you want to do non-simple stuff, it
>quickly becomes easier.

I'm not thinking about command line stuff. I've been using c since
1978 (Unix v6) and BASIC in some form or another since... 1972. So
similar time periods. I've tried to teach both to non-programmers in
classrooms where I was a paid teacher (Tektronix classrooms.) And I'm
talking about __non-programmers__, such as secretaries. I've no
question in my mind which would be easier to gain some early success
with. Lua is too similar to c in my mind.

Jon