QuickBASIC 4.5, the most popular version of QuickBASIC (Source: games.phatcode.net)

                README.DOC File

        Release Notes for Microsoft (R) QuickBASIC

                Version 4.50

        (C) Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 1990

        Product Serial Number: 00-007-1450-26147102


This document contains release notes for version 4.50 of the Microsoft (R)
QuickBASIC for MS-DOS (R). The information in this document is more
up-to-date than that in the manuals.


================================================================================
Contents
================================================================================


Part	Description
----	-----------

1	Using QuickBASIC on a Two-Floppy System

2	Using Your Mouse with QuickBASIC

3	Supplementary Information on Mixed-Language Programming

4	Using Btrieve with QuickBASIC

5	Using the DOS 3.2 Patch for Math Accuracy

6	Miscellaneous Information About Using QuickBASIC


================================================================================
Part 1: Using QuickBASIC on a Two-Floppy System
================================================================================


Installing QuickBASIC on Floppy Disks
-------------------------------------

The SETUP program can install QuickBASIC on floppy disks for use
with a two-floppy system. You must run SETUP to install QuickBASIC
on floppy disks. You cannot run QuickBASIC from the disks provided,
because the files are stored in a compressed format.

Before you install QuickBASIC on your two-floppy system, be sure
you have enough blank, formatted disks. If you have 360K disk
drives, you will need five blank disks. For 720K disk drives, you
will need three blank disks.

To install QuickBASIC, put Disk #1 in drive A. Type A:\SETUP and
press Enter.

When your installation is complete, you should label each disk with
the names of the files that are on that disk. QuickBASIC will ask
you to swap disks when it cannot find a file that it needs, and
you will need to know which disk the file is on.

If you use 360K disks, label them as follows:

PROGRAM:
QB.EXE		 QB45QCK.HLP

UTILITIES:
BC.EXE		 LINK.EXE
BQLB45.LIB		 LIB.EXE
BRUN45.EXE		 QB.QLB
BRUN45.LIB		 QB.LIB

UTILITIES 2:
BCOM45.LIB		 QB45ENER.HLP

ADVISOR:
QB45ADVR.HLP

EXAMPLES
QB.BI			 BASIC examples

If you use 720K disks, label them as follows:

PROGRAM/EXAMPLES:
QB.EXE		 QB45QCK.HLP
QB.BI			 BASIC examples

UTILITIES:
BC.EXE		 LINK.EXE
BQLB45.LIB		 LIB.EXE
BRUN45.EXE		 QB.QLB
BRUN45.LIB		 QB.LIB
BCOM45.LIB

ADVISOR:
QB45ADVR.HLP		 QB45ENER.HLP


Running QuickBASIC from Floppy Disks
------------------------------------

During some operations, QuickBASIC asks you to swap disks one
or more times. You can minimize disk swapping by following the
procedures in this section.

Since the disks that you installed QuickBASIC on are nearly full, you
should keep your BASIC source-code (.BAS) files on a separate disk.
Label this disk SOURCE.

Copy the run-time module BRUN45.EXE from the UTILITIES disk to your
SOURCE disk. QuickBASIC needs this file to run executable programs
compiled with the run-time support option.

When you use QuickBASIC, a disk containing source-code (.BAS) files
should always be in drive B. If you want to run existing BASIC
programs (such as the example programs provided with QuickBASIC),
remove the SOURCE disk from drive B and insert the disk containing
these files.

To run QuickBASIC:

1. Insert the SOURCE disk in drive B.

2. To make drive B the current drive, type B: and press Enter.

3. Insert the PROGRAM disk (the disk containing QB.EXE) in drive A.

4. Type the following command:

A:QB.EXE

To insure that QuickBASIC always looks on both disk drives for the
files it needs, follow these steps:

1. From the Options menu, choose Set Paths.

2. Make sure each of the path settings includes both disk drives. The
following line should be in all four text boxes:

A:\;B:\

3. Choose OK.

QuickBASIC saves these path settings in the QB.INI file, so you will
not have to enter them again.

When you exit QuickBASIC or shell to DOS, you will be prompted to
insert a disk containing the file COMMAND.COM. Remove the PROGRAM
disk from drive A, insert a system disk, and press Enter.


Using Help from Floppy Disks
----------------------------

When you use the QuickBASIC Advisor online help system, you may need
to swap disks. For example, if you choose "Details" or "Example" on a
help screen, QuickBASIC will inform you that it cannot find the help
file QB45ADVR.HLP. Put the disk that contains this file in drive A and
choose Retry.


Compiling Your Programs from Floppy Disks
-----------------------------------------

To compile your program from within QuickBASIC:

1. From the Run menu, choose Make EXE File.

2. Choose Make EXE. QuickBASIC displays the message "Cannot find file
(BC.EXE)."

3. Insert the UTILITIES disk (the disk containing BC.EXE) in drive A.
Type A: and press Enter.

If the program compiles successfully, QuickBASIC invokes the LINK
utility. If LINK cannot find the library, it displays the following
message:

LINK : warning L4051 : BCOM45.LIB : cannot find library
Enter new file spec:

4. Insert the disk containing the requested library (BCOM45.LIB or
BRUN45.LIB) in drive A.

Note: The requested library may be located on the UTILITIES disk
already in drive A. If this is the case, leave this disk in drive A.

5. Type A: and press Enter. After the LINK utility finishes creating
your executable program, QuickBASIC displays the message "Cannot
find file (QB.EXE)."

6. Insert the PROGRAM disk in drive A.

7. Type A: and press Enter.

If no errors occur during compiling or linking, your compiled program
(.EXE) is created on drive B. QuickBASIC also creates an object-module
(.OBJ) file. To save space, you can delete object-module files.


================================================================================
Part 2:  Using Your Mouse with QuickBASIC
================================================================================


New Mouse Driver for Use with QuickBASIC
----------------------------------------

QuickBASIC Version 4.5 can be used with any mouse that is 100%
compatible with the Microsoft Mouse. However, you must use a
Microsoft Mouse driver Version 6.00 or later. Earlier versions may
cause unpredictable behavior when used with QuickBASIC. MOUSE.COM,
Version 6.24 is supplied with QuickBASIC Version 4.5.

Especially if you are writing programs that use the mouse, you
should use the supplied version of the mouse driver when working in
QuickBASIC. Previous versions have included MOUSE.SYS, which is
installed by including the line DEVICE=MOUSE.SYS in your CONFIG.SYS
file. This version of QuickBASIC includes MOUSE.COM, which is not
installed via CONFIG.SYS. To install MOUSE.COM, just type MOUSE at
the DOS prompt. To include MOUSE.COM automatically when your machine
boots, make sure MOUSE.COM is in your search path, then put the line

MOUSE

in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. To free up memory, you can remove the
mouse driver at any time by typing MOUSE OFF at the DOS prompt.
This will restore between 9K and 10.5K of memory with Version 6.11.


Using Mouse Function Calls from QuickBASIC Programs
---------------------------------------------------

If you are programming for the Microsoft Mouse, you should obtain
the Microsoft Mouse Programmer's Reference Guide and the library
MOUSE.LIB that comes with it. (These are not included in QuickBASIC
or Mouse package and must be ordered separately). Most of the
information in the Mouse Programmer's Reference Guide applies
directly to QuickBASIC Version 4.5. However, the following additional
restrictions must be observed:

Certain Mouse function calls (Functions 9 & 16) require you to set
up an integer array and pass the address of the array to the mouse
driver. For previous versions, the only restriction on this array
was that it had to be $STATIC (the default array type). In QuickBASIC
Version 4.5, however, the array also must be in a COMMON block if you
will be making the Mouse function call from within the QuickBASIC
environment.  In addition, it is recommended that the support code
for the Mouse call be in a Quick library or linked into the
executable file when making Mouse function calls from QuickBASIC.

To produce a Quick library for using Mouse function calls from
within the QuickBASIC environment, use the following command line
(produces MOUSE.QLB):

LINK MOUSE.LIB/QU,MOUSE.QLB,,BQLB40.LIB/NOE;

An example from PIANO.BAS (included with the Microsoft Mouse
Programmer's Reference) for using Mouse function call 9:

DEFINT A-Z
DECLARE SUB MOUSE (M1, M2, M3, M4)
DIM Cursor(15, 1)
COMMON Cursor() 'Ensures array data is in DGROUP
.
.  (set up Cursor() for mouse cursor shape desired)
.
M1 = 9: M2 = 6: M3 = 0
CALL MOUSE(M1, M2, M3, VARPTR(Cursor(0, 0)))

In addition to the above, note that Mouse function calls 21-23
require dynamically allocated storage out of the home data segment.
The recommended way to do this is to allocate space in a dynamic
string variable based on the return value from function call 21,
using the STRING$ or SPACE$ function. Then use VARPTR on this string
variable just prior to calling Mouse function call 22 or 23.


================================================================================
Part 3: Supplementary Information on Mixed-Language Programming
================================================================================


Linking from Within QuickC or with QCL
--------------------------------------

Microsoft QuickC and the QCL command both set the /NOI linker
by default. Therefore, you should not link from within QuickC, or
with QCL, when your program contains modules written in a case-
insensitive language such as BA...