QBasic Programs (1994-1997)

A collection of QBasic programs I wrote in middle school and high school, preserved from the mid-1990s. These programs represent my early programming journey, learning to code on DOS machines with QuickBASIC 4.5.

Highlighted Programs

TERMINAL.BAS - Serial Chat Client

Location: my-programs/chat-terminal/

A feature-rich serial port terminal program for PC-to-PC chat over null modem cables. This was part of a friendly "chat war" with a friend - we'd implement pranks and counter-measures against each other.

Features:

• Dual COM port support (COM1 for direct connection, COM2 for modem)
• Split-screen UI with status bar
• Deflector - Bounce incoming messages back at the sender
• Anti-Deflector - Filter out reflected messages
• ASCII Spam - Flood random characters
• Repeat Send - Message bombing
• Fake Disconnect - Pretend to leave, then surprise them
• Session logging to file
• Message recording and playback

The TERMINA2, TERMINA3, and TERMINA4 files show the evolution as new features were added.

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Screensaver Series

Location: my-programs/screensavers/

A progression of bouncing line/shape animations, each iteration adding new features:

Program	Description
BOUNCE.BAS	Simple bouncing circle
BOUNCE2.BAS	Added color cycling
BOUNCE3.BAS	Two objects with collision detection
LINES.BAS	Radial lines creating interference patterns
SCREEN.BAS	20-point bouncing polygon
SHBONCE2.BAS	Mesh-connected bouncing points
SQUBONC3.BAS	User-configurable: choose number of shapes and vertices

These demonstrate learning graphics programming through iteration - each version building on the last.

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Math Homework Helpers

Location: my-programs/math-helpers/

Programs I wrote to help with (or automate) algebra homework:

Program	Description
MATH2.BAS	Factors quadratic trinomials (x² + bx + c)
MATH3.BAS	Handles leading coefficients (ax² + bx + c)
CHAPTER4.BAS	Solves systems of linear equations using elimination
SENSUB.BAS	Synthetic division calculator - shows all work
ABLRA*.BAS	Various algebra problem solvers

Complete with typos like "Eneter" and "pionts" - authentic middle school code!

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Prank Programs

Location: my-programs/pranks/

Program	Description
FAKEDOS.BAS	Fake DOS prompt that pretends to delete files, requires a Fibonacci sequence to escape (11235813213455)
FORMAT_C.BAS	Fake format C: command

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Directory Structure

QBasic/
├── my-programs/           # Programs I wrote
│   ├── screensavers/      # Bouncing lines and shapes
│   ├── math-helpers/      # Algebra homework automation
│   ├── chat-terminal/     # Serial chat client (TERMINAL.BAS)
│   ├── graphics-demos/    # Graphics experiments
│   ├── pranks/            # FAKEDOS, FORMAT_C
│   └── misc/              # Other personal projects
│
├── samples/               # Code I didn't write
│   ├── microsoft/         # QB4.5 sample programs (TORUS, MANDEL, etc.)
│   └── third-party/       # Friend's code & downloaded programs
│
├── 90s-shareware/         # BBS/shareware collection from the era
│
├── qbasic-runtime/        # QB.EXE and supporting files
│
├── build-artifacts/       # Compiled .EXE, .OBJ, and data files
│
└── tools/                 # Modern helper scripts
    ├── qb.sh              # Launch programs in DOSBox
    └── convert_binary.sh  # Convert tokenized files to text

Running These Programs

Using DOSBox

The tools/qb.sh script launches programs in DOSBox:

# Open QuickBASIC IDE
./tools/qb.sh

# Open a program in the editor
./tools/qb.sh my-programs/screensavers/LINES.BAS

# Run a program directly
./tools/qb.sh my-programs/screensavers/LINES.BAS run

Requirements

• DOSBox or DOSBox-X
• The QuickBASIC 4.5 runtime (included in qbasic-runtime/)

Historical Context

These programs were written between 1994-1997 when I was in 8th-9th grade. They represent:

• Learning through iteration - Multiple versions of programs as I learned new techniques
• Practical problem-solving - Math helpers to automate tedious homework calculations
• Creative exploration - Screensavers pushing the limits of VGA graphics
• Social coding - The TERMINAL chat programs were part of a friendly rivalry, trading pranks and counter-measures with a friend over null modem cables

The code style reflects its era: line numbers (in some files), GOTO statements, global variables, and creative variable naming. It's preserved here as a time capsule of 1990s hobbyist programming.

Python Conversions

Select programs have been converted to modern Python, preserving the original functionality while adding proper variable names and documentation. Easter egg typos from the originals are preserved as comments.

Screensavers (pygame)

Python File	Original	Description
LINES.py	LINES.BAS	Radial lines from center with wave pattern
BOUNCE.py	BOUNCE.BAS	Bouncing circle with line to center (SPACE toggles size)
SQUBONC3.py	SQUBONC3.BAS	Configurable bouncing polygons
SCREEN.py	SCREEN.BAS	20-point polygon with RGB color cycling

Running the Python Screensavers

# Set up virtual environment (one-time)
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install pygame

# Run any screensaver
python LINES.py
python BOUNCE.py
python SQUBONC3.py
python SCREEN.py

# Deactivate when done
deactivate

Controls:

• ESC or close window to quit
• SPACE (BOUNCE.py only) - Toggle radius growth on/off

Note: On macOS, the pygame window may open behind other windows. Check your Dock or use Cmd+Tab to find it.

Chat Terminal (curses TUI)

Python File	Original	Location	Description
TERMINAL.py	TERMINAL.BAS	my-programs/chat-terminal/	Two-terminal chat with "chat war" features

A modern recreation of the 1475-line TERMINAL.BAS - a full-duplex chat client originally designed for serial port communication, now using TCP sockets.

# Start server in one terminal
python3 my-programs/chat-terminal/TERMINAL.py --server

# Connect client in another terminal
python3 my-programs/chat-terminal/TERMINAL.py --client

# Connect to a specific host
python3 my-programs/chat-terminal/TERMINAL.py --client --host 192.168.1.5

Chat War Features:

Key	Feature	Description
1	Deflector	Bounce incoming messages back at sender
2	ASCII Spam	Flood random ASCII characters
3	Repeat Send	Continuously resend a message
4	Anti-Deflector	Filter your own reflected messages
5	No Input	Ignore all incoming messages
6	Fake Disconnect	Pretend to leave, wait for keypress
7	Record	Start/stop recording incoming messages
8	Playback	Send the recorded message
9	File Log	Log session to file
Q	Quit	Exit the program
F1	Help	Toggle help overlay

Port 9600 is used by default (matching the original baud rate for nostalgia).

Math Helpers (no dependencies)

Python File	Original	Description
MATH2.py	MATH2.BAS	Factor quadratics (x² + bx + c)
MATH3.py	MATH3.BAS	Factor quadratics with leading coefficient (ax² + bx + c)
CHAPTER4.py	CHAPTER4.BAS	Solve 2-variable linear systems
SENSUB.py	SENSUB.BAS	Synthetic division calculator
BASES.py	BASES.BAS	Number base conversion

# Run directly (no setup needed)
python3 my-programs/math-helpers/MATH2.py
python3 my-programs/math-helpers/SENSUB.py
# etc.

Other Terminal Programs (no dependencies)

Python File	Original	Location	Description
FAKEDOS.py	FAKEDOS.BAS	my-programs/pranks/	Fake DOS prompt prank
ASCII.py	ASCII.BAS	my-programs/misc/	Random colored ASCII characters

# Run directly (no setup needed)
python3 my-programs/pranks/FAKEDOS.py
python3 my-programs/misc/ASCII.py

FAKEDOS.py simulates a DOS prompt that:

• Pretends to delete files with DEL
• Shows "Squids Rule" in random colors on CLS
• Reports "MS-DOS Version 1.00" on VER
• Requires the Fibonacci password 11235813213455 to EXIT

ASCII.py prints random ASCII characters in random colors. Press ESC to quit.

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File Format Note

QBasic saved files in two formats:

• Text - Human-readable source code
• Binary tokenized - Compressed format starting with 0xFC byte

Most files have been converted to text format for readability. The tools/convert_binary.sh script can convert any remaining binary files using DOSBox.