BCX v8.2.9 is available for download

[MrBcx]

Robert Wishlaw informed me that the function prototype for the new FORMAT$() was malformed in Bc.Bas.

I corrected my error and updated Bcx829.zip and its SHA256 in the original post.

[MrBcx]

BCX 8.2.9 has been uploaded.

This update includes new features, improvements and bug fixes.

https://bcxbasiccoders.com/archives/YahooGroups/Bcx_Files_New/Bcx829.zip

SHA-256

Code Select Expand


62ced15d26c2b88935bfa4c228a9241f06760c5440c7eadac8f20195163e0063


Revisions:

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*********************************************************************************************
2025/09/24      Changes in 8.2.9 from 8.2.8
*********************************************************************************************
Kevin Diggins  : BCX 8.2.9 cannot be built using BCX 8.2.8.  If you want to build 8.2.9, you
                must use the executable or the bootstrap file provided in the BCX 8.2.9 zip.
                ****************************************************************************       
               
Kevin Diggins  : NEW! Added FORMAT$ function to provide compatibility with VB6 / PowerBasic.
                BCX's implementation concerns itself with numbers but not with dates, times,
                or currency formatting.  With a purpose similar to USING$, FORMAT$ will make
                using some VB6/PB10 code a little bit easier/quicker when you encounter it. 
                The BCX Help file will include a section for the FORMAT$ function, along 
                with many use case examples.

Kevin Diggins  : IMPROVED: CHR$() now accepts unlimited arguments, well actually about 8,000
                but who in their right mind would ever do that?  8,000 is a lot more than
                the previous limit of 26 and that's really the point here.         
                 
                The new CHR$() function uses the VCHR$ runtime function but unlike using
                VCHR$ directly, BCX automatically determines the argument count that the
                VCHR$ function requires, so that we don't have to. 
               
                The VCHR$() function is NOT being deprecated, has NOT been modified in
                anyway, and requires NO edits to your existing code.  You can continue using
                VCHR$() or you can update your code to use the improved CHR$.  If you decide
                to update your code from VCHR$() to CHR$(), be sure to remove the first
                argument from your VCHR$() statements (the argument count), otherwise that
                argument value will be treated as the first character in your CHR$() return
                string which you almost certainly will not want.
               
                Finally, the previous CHR$() runtime function has been completely removed
                from the BCX translator and BCX itself now uses the new CHR$ process.         
               
Kevin Diggins  : IMPROVED: The LIKE_INSTR() function's pattern matching is more robust.                                 
                 
Robert Wishlaw : BUG FIX: POPCOLORS() properly restores the values to COLOR_BG and COLOR_FG

Kevin Diggins  : BUG FIX: When assigning a string expression containing the unquoted pattern
                "]+", the translator could get confused and emit flawed code. 

Kevin Diggins  : BUG FIX: Found an edge case where the internal BCX_Retstr was not being
                emitted inside user defined string functions containing one or more static
                array arguments in their signature.

Kevin Diggins  : Ongoing formatting improvements to the source, output and runtime code