Language Keywords and Operators

Keywords

Keyword	Description	Usage
INCLUDE	Include code from an external file.You can reference environment variables inside the include string with this syntax ${env_var}	INCLUDE "STRING_LITERAL.bas"
INCLUDE ONCE	Tells the compiler to only include the current file once.	INCLUDE ONCE
IF	Executes a block of code if an expression is true.ELSEIF can be substituted for ELSE IF	IF <EXPRESSION> THEN ' ..... ELSEIF <EXPRESSION> THEN ' ..... ELSE ' ..... END IF
SELECT	Executes a block of code if a case is equal to the selection case.	SELECT CASE <EXPRESSION> CASE <EXPRESSION> ' ..... DEFAULT ' ..... END SELECT
DO / LOOP	Executes a block of code while a condition is true or until a condition is met.	DO ' ..... LOOP {UNTIL | WHILE} <EXPRESSION>
WHILE / WEND	Executes a block of code while a condition is true.	WHILE <EXPRESSION> ' ..... WEND
FOR	Sets a counter variable to an initial value and executes a block of code until the counter variable has reached a peak value.	FOR <ID> = <EXPRESSION> TO <EXPRESSION> {STEP} <EXPRESSION> ' ..... NEXT
EXIT	Exits a loop.	EXIT { DO | FOR | WHILE }
CONTINUE	Jumps back to the start of a loop.	CONTINUE
FUNCTION	Creates a function.	FUNCTION <ID> ( {BYREF} <ID>, ... ) ' ..... RETURN <EXPRESSION> END FUNCTION
SUB	Creates a Sub Routine.	SUB <ID> ( {BYREF} <ID>, ... ) ' ..... {RETURN} END SUB
PRINT	Outputs text to a console.	PRINT <EXPRESSION>
END	Ends a program. Add a number expression after END to set the exit code.	END END <EXPRESSION>
DIM	Creates a variable or array.	DIM <ID> {[} <EXPRESSION> {]}
REDIM	Resizes an array.	REDIM <ID> {[} <EXPRESSION> {]}
DELETE	Deletes an array.	DELETE <ID>
TRUE	Constant that evaluates to NOT 0.	TRUE
FALSE	Constant that evaluates to 0.	FALSE

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Operators

Operator	Description	Example
+	Addition — adds two numbers.	1 + 2
-	Subtraction — subtracts one number from another.	1 - 2
*	Multiplication — multiplies two numbers.	1 * 2
/	Division — divides one number by another.	1 / 2
^	Exponent — raises one number to the power of another.	1^2
>	Greater — returns TRUE if the first number is greater than the second.	1 > 2 → FALSE 2 > 1 → TRUE
<	Less — returns TRUE if the first number is less than the second.	1 < 2 → TRUE 2 < 1 → FALSE
>=	Greater or equal — returns TRUE if the first number is greater than or equal to the second.	1 >= 2 → FALSE 1 >= 1 → TRUE
<=	Less or equal — returns TRUE if the first number is less than or equal to the second.	1 <= 2 → TRUE 2 <= 1 → FALSE
=	Equal — returns TRUE if both values are equal.	1 = 2 → FALSE 1 = 1 → TRUE
<>	Not equal — returns TRUE if both values are not equal.	1 <> 2 → TRUE 1 <> 1 → FALSE
MOD	Modulus — returns the remainder of the first number divided by the second.	1 MOD 2 → 1
SHL	Shift left — shifts the bits in a number to the left.	1 SHL 2 → 4
SHR	Shift right — shifts the bits in a number to the right.	4 SHR 2 → 1
AND	Conducts AND comparison of two values.	1 AND 1
OR	Conducts OR comparison of two values.	1 OR 1
XOR	Conducts exclusive-OR comparison of two values.	1 XOR 1
NOT	Conducts NOT operation on a value.	NOT 1
+ (string)	String add — combines two string values.	"HELLO"+"WORLD"
:	End of instruction — tells the compiler to end the current instruction and read the following code as a new instruction.	X = 5: PRINT X

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Escape Characters

Escape	Description
\\	Inserts a \ into a string.
\n	Inserts a new-line into a string.
\b	Inserts a backspace into a string.
"  /  \q	Inserts a quotation mark into a string.
\t	Inserts a tab into a string.
\0	Inserts a null character into a string.
\a	Inserts an alert bell into a string.
\v	Inserts a vertical tab into a string.
\f	Inserts a form feed into a string.
\r	Inserts a carriage return into a string.