Simple Computing

The first Run BASIC Hosting Service at http://runbasicnet.com shutdown a few months ago. This happened just before I realized that I needed a hosting service for my own applications. If it shutdown a month later, I may have become one of Jerry's last customers. Personally, I don't want to rely on a server running in my home connected to the Internet through my Comcast cable modem. I know a lot of people do that and it's the cheapest way to go, but I did some testing and found that I have service interruptions almost every day. They are usually short and during the night, though. Plus, there are the occasional major outages both in cable service and power that usually happen during winter months or in bad weather. I live in Atlanta, so this doesn't happen often, but it's still often enough. Last month, I purchased a subscription for my own VPS (Virtual Private Server) at VPSLand. I also started wondering if anyone else in the Run BASIC community would like to have ...

I published a new book titled Embedded Software Development with C . I am a co-author along with Dr. Kai Qian and Li Cao. The book is published by Springer. It is a computer science textbook written primarily for CS and EE undergraduate students, but it is also a good introduction for working professionals interested in embedded software development. Hobbyists will also like the projects and step-by-step approach to the labs. The book takes a software engineering approach to programming the venerable 8051 microcontroller using the C language. The 8051 and C have been around for decades, so this book should have some long term value. It stands out from other 8051/C books because it covers Ethernet networking. Most 8051 books on the market don't make it past serial communications. Writing this book took me back 20 years to my EET days. I haven't bread-boarded circuits since the late 80's. It was a lot of fun designing the labs and making them work. The Ethernet chapter featur...

Sometimes I need to open the target folder of a shortcut on my desktop. In Windows Vista (and the upcoming Windows 7), you just right click on the shortcut and select Open File Location . In Windows XP, however, you don't have this option. In the past (and in haste), I would right click on the shortcut, select Properties and then copy and paste the already selected target field into Windows Explorer. This works, but it takes extra steps to accomplish the task. There's an easier way: Right click on the shortcut. Select Properties. Click the Find Target button. The shortcut's target folder (or containing folder) will open. This method seems obvious, but is easy to miss if you're in a hurry.

Carl has a new Run BASIC whitepaper that's definitely worth reading. It is titled Run BASIC - A Breakthrough Web Application Server . If you are new to Run BASIC but a veteran web programmer, be prepared to be shocked by how simple this is. No CGI scripting. No state management. HTML and Javascript knowledge is optional. In Run BASIC, there is an HTML statement that lets you embed custom code if you want. Embedding HTML/Javascript is still necessary to add AJAX type code for dynamic page updating, but I suspect that future versions of Run BASIC will integrate this as well. For a more traditional web interface everything you need is built-in: Desktop-like control flow No state management Graphics SQLite database HTML statement for embedding custom HTML and Javascript SMTP statement for sending email HTTP GET and POST statements for accessing other web sites and services XML parser Widgets with CSS styling Easy component creation Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Carl released a free versi...

I actually found useful content on Google's corporate information page. Google's Design Principles . I especially like #3. If you look at the navigation links on the left hand side of the page, there are other great links under the "Our Philosophy" section.

Jerry Muelver of Hytext Consulting has launched the first Run Basic Hosting Service . Account features include: Dedicated Run Basic server. Secure folder with FTP access. Static IP address. A subscription is $60 for 6 months ($10/month). Jerry just announced a $5, 1-month trial.

A competitor to Liberty Basic from across the pond entered my radar in recent months. It's called BBC Basic for Windows and it's maintained by Richard T. Russell -- a sort of British Carl Gundel. I was sufficiently impressed to buy a license and try it out as a testing tool for a project. BBC Basic has a rich history that involves the BBC Micro and Acorn computers. The history of Acorn Computers parallels that of famous American companies like Apple and Commodore . BBC Basic for Windows is a little more complicated than Liberty Basic, but it is also much faster and more powerful. I'll post updated Sieve benchmarks comparing Liberty Basic, Run Basic and BBC Basic in coming weeks. Liberty Basic and Run Basic were developed with different tools and differing philosophies: Liberty Basic was written in Smalltalk and has some of Smalltalk characteristics like big strings and really big integers. To understand what I mean, open a workspace in Squeak Smalltalk and evaluate the...