Thursday, March 1, 2012

From Xbase++ to Harbour

I've been searching for a Clipper-compatible compiler until I found Xbase++ and purchased, for my 3rd party libraries, the "Donnay" software and the Top Down (TD) Library developed by Clayton Jones. TD is so good, but I don't like my compiled .exe file to be dependent on dozens of .dll files. An Xbase++-compiled .exe file is like a post with strings, known as "dlls", attached to it to make it stand. One missing dll is enough to cripple my Xbase++-made software. Hence, I shifted to Harbour to serve my interest of a non-dll enslaved .exe file. Then my little Xbase experience became like a threshold of so huge a possibility when tied to the Harbour architecture.

I'm learning this robust language so slowly as I am interested to converted my Xbase++ programs to Harbour in a way intelligent and full of heart.

Since I want also to share my poor Harbour explorations, I decided to put up this blog, for the newbies like me to benefit from.

For example, I was so confused why is my Harbour GET command jumps up to the top of the screen, disobeying my command to stay at ROW==3. I went to the Users' Forum and Klas, one of Harbour's very popular names, told me to use SETMODE(25,80) to solve such a weird behavior.

What a good feeling it was that Harbour, a free language, is so loved by hundreds of computer gurus, who are committed to make Harbour a robust free language among the xBase dialects that are upgrading with the latest software technologies!

Not only that. Dozens of libraries are now bridged to Harbour, making non-native Harbour commands and functions to work with the Harbour compiler. Just imagine the possibilities such as the fact that Harbour can now be used to program such huge projects as developing robots!

Just google "harbour project" and lots of related sites will pop up to help us master Harbour, which is now getting very popular and dominant in the world today. You may be interested with the following links: www.harbour.project.org; en.wikipedia-org/wiki/Harbour-(software); sourceforge.net/projects/harbourproject.