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 Post Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2020 12:53 pm 
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Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:09 am
Posts: 9438
Location: The state of confusion; I just use Wyoming for mail.
Years ago I used to do a lot more coding than web sites. I wrote in B.A.S.I.C. and Assembly. About 4 days ago I decided to do something about the urge but had to find a language that I felt comfortable. For the umteenth time I installed Visual Studio Community which is free but found, as with the other times, that I just don't like it.

Then I had a glimmer of memory and looked through my old install CDs and found Visual Basic Enterprise. I even still had the product code. While it was usable MBAM Premium would delete the compiled code every time I tried to run it. It was easy enough to make an exception for the folder I compiled to but I didn't like that I had to do so. It would mean that I'd have to do the same on any system running MBAM.

Before Visual Basic I had tried a free package called FreeBASIC which, as the name implies, totally free. It works quite well but is a command line system sort of like DOS. Due to the issues with Virtual Basic I went back to FreeBASIC using a graphic code editor called WinFBE (Windows FreeBasic Editor).
Here is FreeBASIC:
https://www.freebasic.net/
Here is WinFBE:
https://www.freebasic.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25215
Using WinFBE I ended up with an editor that includes the ability to use the 'design mode' for layout and 'code mode' to make the layout do something.

So where is this headed as I surely can't have much done in 4 days especially as half of that was spent deciding which package to use, right? You might be surprised...

I decided to make a drawing program. Nothing fancy, more like a doodle program. As it stands right now it does free hand drawing, straight lines, outline and filled boxes, outline and filled circles (no ovals yet), and my favorite, Rays. Sigh, hard to describe rays so I'll include an image at the end of this.

If anyone wants to take a peek it can be grabbed at the following link. Please remember that it is crude but what works, works although the Circle function needs more work. Also, at this time, there are no options to change colors. Of course that option will be added along with things such as line styles and text.
https://jaylach.com/downloads/Doodle1.zip
If you are using Defender for security it may throw up a warning when you run the program. If this happens just click on 'More Info' and select to run. This only needs to be done once. I don't know about other security software except for a couple. Avast which wants to scan it first but decides it's OK. Security Essentials on my Windows 7 virtual machine is fine with it. UAC just asks if you want to run.

So how do you use it?

When it is running there are three windows. A smaller black window behind the other two has no real use and I hope to find a way to remove the silly thing. Just ignore this Window although, if you happen find a way to crash the program closing that window tends to close everything.

The two useful windows are a narrow options window, in which you choose the drawing options, and a much larger drawing window which is where you draw.

You just select an option and use the mouse in the drawing window to get results. Once an option is selected you are locked in that option until you release by clicking the right mouse button. At this time the mouse MUST be over the drawing window for the release to work.

Free Hand
Just select and go to the drawing window. As long as the left mouse button is pressed it will draw where ever the mouse goes. Release the button and it will stop drawing. Hold the button again and it will start drawing at the current mouse position. Right click the mouse within the drawing window to release the function to be able to select another.

Line
Left click once to define the start of the line and click again to finish the line from the starting point to the current mouse position. Right click the mouse within the drawing window to release the function to be able to select another.

Square / Rectangle
Left click in the drawing window to to define one corner of the box. Then click again where you want the diagonal opposing corner. If you do the second click with the left button it will draw an outline of the box. If you use the middle button it will make a filled box. Right click the mouse within the drawing window to release the function to be able to select another.

Circle / Elipse
Right now only the circle part works. Ovals will come later. Works pretty much like Square /Rectangle. Left click to define the circle's center and left click again to draw a circle outline. Middle button makes a filled circle. Right click the mouse within the drawing window to release the function to be able to select another.

Clear Screen
Exactly what it says. It will erase every thing that has been put in the drawing window. As of yet there is no confirmation alert; click 'clear screen' and every thing on the drawing window is gone.

Quit
Again just what it says, it exits the program. Again, no confirmation dialog at this time.

Rays
Saved my favorite for last. :mrgreen: Left click and hold the button within the drawing window. When you initially click it will set a focal point and continuously draw lines from the focal point to the current mouse position. Release the button and it will stop drawing the lines. You can click and hold in another location to start more rays with a different focal point. Using the left mouse button makes solid lines. Using the middle mouse button makes dashed lines. Like I said, this is kind of hard to describe so a screen shot is below. Right click the mouse within the drawing window to release the function to be able to select another.

If you download and look feel free to give comments and suggestions. :) Trust me, I know it has quite a ways to go. ;) I really have no intention of making a real graphics program such as PaintShop Pro. I intend more of a doodle pad.

Here are my rays! I am quite fond of the things. In fact they were included in a much more involved drawing program I wrote way back in the late 1980s, early 1990s. Top two are with the left mouse button for solid lines. Bottom two are with the middle mouse button for dashed lines.
Attachment:
Rays.jpg
Rays.jpg [ 230.54 KiB | Viewed 1818 times ]

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