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>>>So, you are saying that by your definition, business basic is not an interpreter (assuming I gave you the correct facts <g>).
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>>Yes. FWIW, let me refine things a bit for clarity sake. Here are the steps involved with a interpreter and a native compiler.
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>>Interpreter
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>>1. Source code goes through the lexical scanner to produce a symbol table and token file.
>>2. The symbol table and token file then goes through syntax analysis. If the analysis reveals any errors, an error message result and the process stops. If no errors are found, p-code is produced.
>>3. The p-code then under goes semantic analysis and if any errors result the process stops.
>>4. If no errors result, the p-code is the interpreted and executed.
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>>Native Compiler
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>>1. Source code goes through the lexical scanner to produce a symbol table and token file.
>>2. The symbol table and token file then goes through syntax analysis. If the analysis reveals any errors, an error message result and the process stops. If no errors are found, p-code is produced.
>>3. The p-code then under goes semantic analysis and if any errors result the process stops.
>>4. The p-code then goes to the emitter where machine code is generated.
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>>You'll note that the only difference here is step 4. If I understand your description correctly, steps 1-3 under Interpreter have already take place. This is what BASICA (and some other versions of BASIC) did.
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>>Now before I get jumped for the phrase "...the p-code is the interpreted and executed", I'll pose the question, "Is VFP a p-code interpreter?" The answer is, yes. That does not mean, however, that it is an "interpreter" since steps 1-3 are not executed at runtime.
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>
>hmmm...and you are saying that on the interpreter, all 4 steps *must* happen at runtime? If that is true, by these definitions, VFP & Business Basic are similar. They are compilers with a run-time (or real-time) emitter.

Pretty much. Consider that with something like FoxBASE, or BASICA, you needed that program to both edit and execute. Granted FoxBASE+ did have a separate pcode compiler that could be used in conjunction with a run-time library, but for the most part (to my knowledge) folks used the full-blown FoxBASE application.

I'd add the Windows Script Host to this list, but (as of now) there's no development environment whatsoever. I wish there was. It's a PITA not having a debugger. The only up side is that you can pretty much edit it (the source code) with any text editor.

>Thanks for the detailed information.
>
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>>Not yet, but I'd like to. The modem (I think) is currently utilizing the PC speaker and it's hard to hear (yes, I've adjusted its volume control) and therefore hard to tell if its dialing, etc. It's an Actiontec 56K ISA Master Modem. You can see the description at http://www.circuitcity.com. It says in the description that it supports Internet Phone and Voice Mail, so I would assume that it would have to utilize the sound card. I probably just haven't spent enough time setting it up properly. (Maybe if I RTFM, it might help< g >)
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>
>that might help <g>. I think I only configured the voice portion of a modem one time in my dark past. I can't recall to what extent it relied on the sound card. It seems to me it only required a jumper between the two cards, so the sound would come out the speaker. Same type of cable used to get sound from the CD to your soundCard. I don't remember any actual software configuration to pull that part of the equation off.

You've just given me an idea. Thanks, Steve.