LB 64 bit?

[pablosl]

Hello,
I'd love to have a 64 bit compiled edition of LB 4.5.1. Is this feasible?

Regards.

[MrHiggins]

LB5 which is in alpha provides a 64bit version. I would think it unlikely there being a 64bit LB 4.X version as all the effort is put in LB5, but that is only my thoughts on that one.

[Carl Gundel]

Dec 21, 2021 12:58:26 GMT -5 pablosl said:

Hello,
I'd love to have a 64 bit compiled edition of LB 4.5.1. Is this feasible?

Regards.

There is a 64-bit Windows version in alpha testing for Liberty BASIC v5.0, but there is no plan for a 64-bit v4.5.1, and it's not really possible either.

Just to set expectations, what are your 64-bit specific needs?  What do you expect it will provide for you?

-Carl

[pablosl]

I just see there are apps like 7 zip and other popular software wich offer both 32 and 64 bit versions. Perhaps, I fear, in the near future Windows will stop supporting 32 bit versions. I understand mac OS X only support 64 bits?.

Thank you for a quick response.

[Carl Gundel]

Dec 21, 2021 17:44:18 GMT -5 pablosl said:

I just see there are apps like 7 zip and other popular software wich offer both 32 and 64 bit versions. Perhaps, I fear, in the near future Windows will stop supporting 32 bit versions. I understand mac OS X only support 64 bits?.

Thank you for a quick response.

Fair point.  Microsoft might do this, but historically they have supported backwards compatibility far better than Apple or even Linux distros do.  There is a huge corporate use of 32-bit software and so Microsoft caters to this market.  Of course, I don't speak for them. 

[Chris Iverson]

Considering that Windows 10 32-bit still allows usage of 16-bit DOS software, and that Windows 11(released this year is the first one to not be released as a 32-bit OS(meaning no 16-bit support), I doubt 32-bit support is going to be killed anytime soon.

And yes, the removal of support is an understandable fear, for the far distant future - which is why the next major version of LB will and does support 64-bit Windows(as well as 64-bit other OSes), as has already been stated.

[pablosl]

At Chris & Carl:

Thanks for sharing your point of view with us!.

Regards.

[Chris Iverson]

To elaborate a little bit on the "not really possible" thing, if you're interested in technical details - the application environment that LB itself is hosted/developed in must support a platform for LB to support that platform. If those tools aren't on a platform, LB can't be.

The LB line before LB5 was developed in an application environment that only ever supported Windows, and even then, only 32-bit Windows at the most. There was never a 64-bit version of those tools released, and in fact, I think the vendor for those tools doesn't even exist anymore, so no 64-bit version will ever come. (I could be wrong about the vendor, but IIRC, they went under or were bought out a long time ago).

LB5 has been rebuilt from the ground up in an entirely new application environment that DOES support 64-bit, as well as supporting Linux and OS X as well. (Not just x86/amd64 builds, either; there's ARM builds of it that are compatible with the Raspberry Pi, which is how LB5 is able to run on there, as well.)

This is why Carl has been able to expand the platforms available to LB5 programs.

[Carl Gundel]

Dec 21, 2021 21:25:24 GMT -5 Chris Iverson said:

The LB line before LB5 was developed in an application environment that only ever supported Windows, and even then, only 32-bit Windows at the most. 

Liberty BASIC v1.x and v2.x were actually 16-bit Windows applications.   Just a little LB trivia for ya.