QBasic Nexus transforms VS Code into a powerful retro-coding station. Whether you're a veteran developer reliving the glory days or a new learner exploring the roots of programming, QBasic Nexus provides a seamless, modern experience for QBasic and QB64.
It offers dual-mode execution: compile native executables using your existing QB64 installation, OR run your code instantly in a browser-based retro CRT with zero setup—complete with graphics, sound, and mouse support!
📖 Table of Contents
✨ Features
🔧 Dual Compilation Modes
| Mode |
Description |
Best For |
| QB64 Native (Recommended) |
Uses your local QB64 compiler to build optimized standalone .exe binaries. |
Performance-critical apps, full system access, deployment. |
| Internal Web Transpiler |
Instantly transpiles QBasic to JavaScript and runs it in a simulated CRT webview. No compiler installation required! |
Quick prototyping, learning, testing logic, playing with retro graphics/sound. |
📺 Advanced Web Runtime
The internal web runtime is not just a toy—it's a fully-featured emulation layer powered by HTML5 Canvas and Web Audio API.
- Retro CRT Quality: Authentic scanlines, text lag, and phosphor persistence effects.
- Rich Graphics: Supports
SCREEN, PSET, LINE, CIRCLE, PAINT, GET, PUT, and more.
- High-Fidelity Audio: Full
PLAY command parsing (octaves, tempo, legato/staccato), SOUND, and BEEP.
- QB64 Extensions: Supports advanced keywords like
_RGB32, _MOUSEINPUT, _LIMIT, _DELAY, and _PI.
- Virtual File System: Uses LocalStorage to simulate file I/O (
OPEN, WRITE, INPUT#) so your data persists between runs!
- IntelliSense: Smart auto-completion for over 400+ keywords, including QB64 specifics.
- Real-time Linting: Catches syntax errors (missing
NEXT, invalid types) as you type.
- Code Navigation: "Go to Definition" (F12) for Subs, Functions, and Types.
- Formatting: Auto-indentation and casing (e.g., converts
print to PRINT) with Shift+Alt+F.
- Outline View: Navigate large files instantly via the VS Code Outline panel.
🎮 Interactive Tutorials
New to QBasic? The Interactive Tutorial Mode solves the "blank screen" problem.
- Open the Command Palette (
Ctrl+Shift+P).
- Select "QBasic: Start Interactive Tutorial 🎮".
- Choose a lesson (e.g., "Hello World", "Variables", "Loops").
- Read the Mission Objective and write code to solve it.
- Run your code (
F5). If the output matches the goal, you get a "Mission Complete" badge and unlock the next level!
🚀 Quick Start Guide
1. Installation
Install QBasic Nexus from the VS Code Marketplace.
2. Choose Your Mode
Option A: Zero-Setup (Web Runtime)
You don't need to install anything else!
- Create a file named
hello.bas.
- Type:
SCREEN 13
COLOR 14
PRINT "Hello from QBasic Nexus!"
CIRCLE (160, 100), 50, 4
PLAY "CDEFGAB>C"
- Press F5. Select "Internal (JS Transpiler)" if prompted, or set it as default in settings.
Option B: Native Mode (QB64)
For producing real .exe files:
- Download QB64 Phoenix Edition or classic QB64.
- (macOS/Linux) Run the
./setup_osx.command or ./setup_lnx.sh script in the QB64 folder.
- In VS Code, open Settings (
Ctrl+,) and search for QBasic Nexus Compiler Path.
- Enter the full path to your
qb64 executable.
🎬 Web Runtime Capabilities
The internal transpiler is highly capable. Below is a breakdown of what it supports.
Supported Keywords
| Category |
Commands Supported |
| Core I/O |
PRINT, INPUT, CLS, LOCATE, COLOR, SCREEN, WIDTH, LPRINT, WRITE |
| Logic |
IF, THEN, ELSE, ELSEIF, Select Case, FOR...NEXT, DO...LOOP, WHILE...WEND |
| Math |
ABS, INT, FIX, SIN, COS, TAN, ATN, SQR, LOG, EXP, RND, SGN |
| Adv. Math |
_PI, _ROUND, _CEIL, _HYPOT, _ATAN2, _SINH, _COSH, _TANH, _D2R, _R2D |
| Strings |
LEFT$, RIGHT$, MID$, LEN, UCASE$, LCASE$, LTRIM$, RTRIM$, INSTR, CHR$, ASC, STR$, VAL |
| System |
TIMER, DATE$, TIME$, SLEEP, INKEY$, CSRLIN, POS, SHELL, CHAIN, RUN |
| File System |
OPEN, CLOSE, NAME, KILL, MKDIR, RMDIR, CHDIR, FILES, SEEK, LOCK, UNLOCK |
| Graphics |
LINE, CIRCLE, PSET, PRESET, DRAW, PAINT, VIEW, WINDOW, GET, PUT, PALETTE, PCOPY |
| QB64 |
_LIMIT, _DELAY, _PI, _RGB32, _RGBA32, _TITLE, _FULLSCREEN, _SCREENMOVE, _DEST, _SOURCE, _FONT, _CLIPBOARD |
| Adv. Audio |
_SNDPLAY, _SNDSTOP, _SNDVOL, _SNDPAUSE, _SNDLOOP, _SNDBAL, _SNDSETPOS, _SNDCLOSE |
| Memory |
POKE, _MEMFREE, _MEMCOPY, _MEMFILL, _PUTIMAGE, _PRINTSTRING, _freeImage |
Graphics & Sound
- Graphics: Full primitives (
LINE, box, CIRCLE, PSET) and image manipulation (GET, PUT). Transparent coloring supported via _RGB32.
- Sound: The
PLAY command is fully implemented with macro language support (e.g., PLAY "T160 O3 L8 C D E F"). SOUND and BEEP work seamlessly without blocking the UI thread (unless desired).
We support the modern QB64 mouse API within the browser:
DO
_LIMIT 60
x = _MOUSEX
y = _MOUSEY
buttons = _MOUSEBUTTON
IF _MOUSEBUTTON(1) THEN CIRCLE (x, y), 5, 14
LOOP UNTIL INKEY$ = CHR$(27)
📦 Available Commands
| Command |
Title (in Palette) |
Shortcut |
Description |
qbasic-nexus.compileAndRun |
Compile & Run 🌀 |
F5 |
Runs code (Native or Web based on settings). |
qbasic-nexus.compile |
Compile Only 🔨 |
Ctrl+Shift+B |
Builds an executable (Native mode only). |
qbasic-nexus.runInCrt |
Run in Retro CRT 📺 |
- |
Force-run in the Web Runtime regardless of settings. |
qbasic-nexus.startTutorial |
Start Interactive Tutorial 🎮 |
- |
Launch an interactive QBasic tutorial for beginners. |
qbasic-nexus.showCodeStats |
Show Code Statistics 📊 |
Ctrl+Shift+I |
Count LOC, Subs, and Functions. |
qbasic-nexus.toggleComment |
Toggle Comment 💬 |
Ctrl+/ |
Comment or uncomment selected lines. |
qbasic-nexus.extractToSub |
Extract to SUB 📦 |
- |
Refactor selected lines into a new Sub. |
🛠️ Configuration
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
qbasic-nexus.compilerMode |
QB64 |
Switch between QB64 (Recommended) and Internal (JS Transpiler). |
qbasic-nexus.compilerPath |
null |
Path to your local QB64 executable for Native mode. |
qbasic-nexus.enableLinting |
true |
Show syntax errors in real-time. |
qbasic-nexus.lintDelay |
500 |
Milliseconds to wait after typing before linting. |
qbasic-nexus.autoFormatOnSave |
false |
Automatically format code (indentation, casing) when saving. |
qbasic-nexus.compilerArgs |
"" |
Additional flags for the QB64 compiler (e.g., -w). |
🧩 Snippets Reference
Type these prefixes and press Tab to generate code instantly:
- Structure:
sub, function, type, select, if, ifelse
- Loops:
for, forstep, dowhile, dountil
- Graphics:
screen, line, circle, rgb
- Input:
input, inkey, mousecheck, keycheck
- Templates:
newqb64 -> Standard setup with _TITLE and SCREEN.gameloop -> A ready-to-run game loop structure with _LIMIT.
🆘 Troubleshooting
Web Runtime (CRT) Issues
- No Sound? Browsers block audio until you interact with the page. Click anywhere inside the CRT window to enable audio engine.
- Slow? Ensure you are using
_LIMIT 60 inside loops. Without it, the loop runs as fast as possible, which might freeze the browser tab.
Native Compiler Issues
- "Compiler not found": Double-check
qbasic-nexus.compilerPath. It must point to the executable file (e.g., qb64.exe), not just the folder.
- macOS Security: You may need to go to System Settings > Privacy & Security to allow
qb64 to run the first time.
- Linux Dependencies: Ensure you have C++ compilers installed (
sudo apt install build-essential).
Known Limitations (Web Runtime)
- Direct Memory Access: Commands like
PEEK, POKE, VARPTR are emulated safely (stubs) and may not return real memory addresses.
- Binary I/O:
INPUT$ and raw binary file modes are currently limited in the web environment. Use OPEN for text processing.
📄 License
MIT License © 2025-2026 Thirawat Sinlapasomsak
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