MBASIC Tkinter GUI Help¶
Welcome to the MBASIC graphical IDE. This help system integrates documentation for the Tkinter GUI, the MBASIC interpreter, and the BASIC-80 language.
🎮 Games Library¶
Browse and run classic BASIC games:
- Games Library - 113 classic CP/M era games ready to run!
📘 Tkinter GUI Guide¶
Learn how to use the graphical interface:
- Getting Started - First steps with the GUI
- Essential Features - Smart Insert, Breakpoints, Variables Window, etc.
- Keyboard Shortcuts - Complete keyboard reference (auto-generated)
- Common Workflows - Step-by-step guides for typical tasks
- Settings & Configuration - Variable case, keyword case, and more
- Tips & Tricks - Best practices and productivity tips
📗 MBASIC Interpreter¶
About this BASIC interpreter:
- MBASIC Index - Overview and navigation
- Getting Started - Your first BASIC program
- Features - What's implemented
- Compatibility - MBASIC 5.21 differences
- Architecture - How MBASIC works
📙 MBASIC Compilers¶
Compile BASIC programs to native executables or JavaScript:
- Compiler Guide - TWO complete compilers:
- Z80/8080 Compiler - Generate .COM files for CP/M systems (100% complete!)
- JavaScript Compiler - Generate JavaScript for browsers and Node.js (100% complete!)
📕 BASIC-80 Language Reference¶
Complete BASIC-80 language documentation:
- Language Overview - Introduction to BASIC-80
- Operators - Arithmetic, logical, relational
- Statements - All 63 BASIC-80 statements
- Statements Index
- Organized by category: input-output, control-flow, file-io
- Functions - All 40 BASIC-80 functions
- Functions Index
- Organized by category: mathematical, string, type-conversion
- Appendices - Reference materials
- Error Codes
- ASCII Table
Quick Start¶
Start the GUI:
Your First Program:
1. Type: 10 PRINT "HELLO, WORLD!"
2. Press {{kbd:run_program}} to run
3. See output in the lower pane
Help Navigation¶
Use the help browser to navigate:
- Links - Click any blue link to navigate
- Back button - Return to previous page
- Home button - Return to this page
- Search - Find help topics by keyword
Key Features¶
The Tkinter GUI provides:
- Syntax highlighting - BASIC keywords highlighted
- Line numbers - Automatic line numbering in gutter
- Visual debugger - Step through code, set breakpoints
- Variable viewing - Monitor variable values in real-time
- Output window - See program output
- Error highlighting - Syntax errors marked in code with ?
- Smart Insert - {{kbd:smart_insert}} inserts lines between existing line numbers
- Statement highlighting - See exactly what will execute next
Tips¶
- Smart Insert ({{kbd:smart_insert}}) - Essential for efficient editing
- Variables Window ({{kbd:toggle_variables}}) - See what your program is doing
- Breakpoints ({{kbd:toggle_breakpoint}}) - Stop at critical points
- Save Often ({{kbd:file_save}}) - Protect your work
Beyond the Interpreter¶
The Tkinter GUI runs programs in interpreter mode. MBASIC-2025 also includes TWO complete compilers:
MBASIC Compilers → - Generate native CP/M executables OR JavaScript: - Z80/8080 Compiler - Native .COM files for CP/M systems (100% complete!) - JavaScript Compiler - JavaScript for browsers and Node.js (100% complete!)
Welcome to MBASIC! Choose a section above to get started, or use the search box to find specific topics.