(copied from MAE 5 summer 2000 website)

QUESTION:

> Can you please check to see if the programs we write in True

> Basic can be made into self-executing files, and whether or not the

> student version that we use has the capabilities to do that?

REPLY:

The answers are "yes" if you want a program that only runs

on Macs, and "sort of" if you want a program that runs on Windows.

Since we only have a Mac version of the old (2.72) version of TB, we can

only create true standalone apps for Mac. For Windows, you need the one of

the more expensive versions of current True Basic to create a true

standalone app for Windows (they took the standalone feature out of the

student version in recent years). However there is a way to do this with

two files on Windows: a compiled file of your source code that is run by a TB

WebBasic "reader" file. See OPTION 2 below.

OPTION 1 - Mac only

(1) With your source code file open in True Basic 2.72 (and free of errors),

choose "Compile" under the "Run" menu. The window will change and show

(Compiled file) as its contents and the window's name will be the name of

your orginal file with a * added to end of name in the Mac 2.72 version,

e.g., final_project*.

Now, make sure you save the compiled file to disk. You can test this

compiled file by opening it (you only see "compiled file" and not your

source code) and running it in True Basic.

(2) Inside the True Basic 2.72 folder, open the folder "Runtime Package".

Make a copy of the file "RTP 2.72" and give the copy a new name, e.g.,

Concentration. Double-click (start) the program "Binder 2.72". A file

selection dialog will open. Select your compiled file, e.g.,

final_project*, and click the Bind button. Another file selection dialog

will open. Find and select the file that is your copy of "RTP 2.72", e.g.,

"Concentration" and then click the Bound File button. Quit Binder (it might

quit itself). Now double-click the file that is your copy of "RTP 2.72",

e.g., "Concentration". It should be a standalone application

version of your original program.

Note: To go commercial you will want to create an icon for your application.

See the True Basic Reference Manual in the laboratory for instructions (CHG).

OPTION 2 - Mac and Windows

(1) With your source code file open in True Basic (and free of errors),

choose "Compile" under the "Run" menu. The window will change and show

(Compiled file) as its contents and the window's name will be the name of

your orginal file with a new extension (* added to end of name in the Mac

lab version 2.72 or .trc in the True Basic Bronze version for Mac and Win

that the bookstore should still have).

Now, make sure you save the compiled file to disk. You can test this

compiled file by opening it (you only see "compiled file" and not your

source code) and running it in True Basic.

(2) Go to True Basic's web site

http://www.truebasic.com/webbasic.html

And download the WebBasic reader for your platform (Mac or Win) and save the

file to you local disk. This will be an installer file that you need to

run. It will create a new folder (TB WebBASIC Reader on Mac).

You DO NOT have to follow the instructions for making this a helper app for

your web browser.

Double-click the icon for the reader (Web BASIC Reader on Mac). A file

selection window will open, select the compiled program file. It should

run.

I tested the above with my version of the final project program. What I

haven't tested yet is copying the compiled file from Mac to Windows, then

seeing if the Windows WebBasic reader will run it. It's supposed to work

but you will want to try it out before giving someone a disk.

R. Herz