What an awesome language!

BlitzMax Forums/BlitzMax Beginners Area/What an awesome language!

jondecker76(Posted 2010) [#1]
I bought BlitzMax years ago when it first came out. I only got to mess with it for a couple of weeks, then got too busy to really check it out. Since then, I have completely switched over to linux as my preferred operating system (from Windows) and even done a fair amount of Open Source programming in the last few years.

About a week ago i had the idea to make a new photobooth software to help my wife in her photography business. The currently available photobooth applications are either lacking in features, don't support linux or are way too expensive ($600 for Photoboof, give me a break!)!

Long story short, in just a weeks time, I have re-installed BlitzMax, learned the language somewhat and built an awesome photobooth application in my spare time (that is currently working in Linux and Windows! If I ever get my hands on a Mac, I may add support for it as well) and even have it running multi-threaded (as an option)! I wouldn't have been able to accomplish 1/10 of this in such a short amount of time using c/c++! And I've absolutely grown to love the language syntax (its so readable) of BMax! (i'm missing function overloading a bit, but I'll get used to it!)

Why anyone would choose another language over BlitzMax for their work is beyond me! Kudos to Mark for such a great accomplishment! I'm hooked!


Who was John Galt?(Posted 2010) [#2]
I couldn't agree more, Jon. It's just amazingly clean and easy to use. You don't even seem to have hit the annoyances with the documentation many of us hit when learning.

I hope you're going to share that app when you're done!


jondecker76(Posted 2010) [#3]
yeah, I've hit the annoyance of incomplete/poor documentation, but that is normally the case in Open Source projects as well... Luckily, most of BMax its self has its source available, so reading back through hasn't been any more painful than what I've been used to! And as most of you know, once you know a couple of languages, its just a matter of taking into account the different syntax, so learning BMax was practically overnight! (it really helped having intuitive syntax and commands though)

Blitz Research should put up an official wiki page so us users can update it (I see that someone started a wiki some time ago, but it is no longer there. All the ore reason that Blitz Research should provide the wiki page!)


Zethrax(Posted 2010) [#4]
I agree about the BlitzMax Wiki. It would need to be incorporated with this site, and setup so that only registered members can contribute (to prevent spam).

The online manuals with commenting ability go some of the way towards this, but need to allow new commands and sections to be added. They also need to be more heavily moderated to allow pointless posts to be removed (which would mean more community moderators would be needed, with a good permission system to manage their access levels).


gameproducer(Posted 2010) [#5]
Yeh, I'm hooked too. Buying those new blitzlanguages as they come available.

Which reminds me... I wonder when I can purchase bmax2... ;)


Jaydubeww(Posted 2010) [#6]
I agree, Blitzmax is awesome. I've only had it for just a few weeks, but the simplicity is amazing! Or maybe its because OOP is awesome. Being a novice programmer and having b3d for several years, I really never made anything special in it. But with biltzmax, Im just chugging away...


AdamRedwoods(Posted 2010) [#7]
One thing I find interested about Blitzmax vs other languages is that its simplicity enables it to be more readable. For example, you don't get those obscure programming tricks that make you look at one line to decipher what the original programmer is trying to do.


dbest(Posted 2010) [#8]
I am a recent user of Blitzmax and using the demo made me realize that I need to purchase the full version, which I did. I am proud of my decision.

I hope to have a complete platform game soon. :)


_Skully(Posted 2010) [#9]
Blitz has been my play toy since I discovered it on the Amiga... still going strong...

oh, before I get roasted for calling it a toy, I only say that because I use it for my hobby. I recognize Blitz's all encompassing power.. Hail to Blitz!


Enyaw(Posted 2010) [#10]
Using blitz basic on the amiga after ditching amos in the 90's was the main reason i had to have it on the pc and has always being a toy for me and an essential tool.




Xerra(Posted 2010) [#11]
That brings back so many memories seeing that screen. I was using blitz to write a lot of small amiga tools back then for a bulletin board that I ran. I was writing some reviews for CU Amiga at the time as a freelancer and remember writing a review of the Blitz Support Suite for that magazine. That was written by the same guys - Red When Excited - who did that version of the IDE.

A lot of people ditched Amos for Blitz back then as it had a major feature and cover disk support together with a big competition via Amiga Format around 1995 as I recall. It's certainly when I first came across it. I still remember all the fuss about Skidmarks - a racing game that had been written with it and really showed off what you could do with the language.


stanrol(Posted 2010) [#12]
releasw source ode as freeware.
too bad for having bought SDK instead, and now I'be very little money.


Naughty Alien(Posted 2010) [#13]
..yes JonD, you are correct..BMax is a most beautiful language i have seen...and i cant wait to see Bmax2 in its abstract design form(or whatever it is) so i can port entire Phyre to PS3 straight from BMax2, without current translators I use..beautiful piece of software indeed..