Free development resources v1.0

This is a listing of free developer resources, including free tools, components, and other resources. This page concentrates on items compatible with VB4 and that run on Win 9x.

Controls (ActiveX, etc.) | Setup utils | Patch makers | Compilers | Design tools | Links |

• FreePOP - allows user to access POP email.
• SEK Paint - full featured paint control. Just drop it in a form.
• Shrinkwrap VB - ezvidcap.ocx: easy access to video functions; Getfreex: get free disk space info. For VB5 and VB6.

  Links:

• Activex.com
• Active X (Cnet)
• Web directory: ActiveX
• ZDNet: ActiveX

• GK Setup
• Inno setup - checks file versions before installing over them. Supports adding registry and INI keys.
• Installer VICE
• Quickinstall - supports adding registry and INI keys.
• Simple setup
• Strato setup - small EXE, scripting language, version checking, prompt for multiple target directories, register ActiveX controls, creates shortcuts, creates uninstall information.
• GP Install - extendable by adding your own DLLs.
• ASETUP
• HJ Install
• RInstall
• Sly Install - designed for burning installation CDROMs.
• DST Setup

• Click team patch maker

Basic
• Basic to C - creates C code from Basic so you can compile it under LCC-Win.
• Dark Basic - a Basic language compiler built especially for graphics and games. The graphics look impressive. It uses DirectX and Direct3D. Packs all sound and graphics files into one EXE file. It requires at least a Pentium 233, 32MB ram, and DirectX 7.0. Some of the features:

  GENERAL FEATURES Automated Double Buffering Full-Screen Display Modes AVI Animation Control MIDI Music Control 3D Sound Effects	2D FEATURES BMP Files Supported Super-Fast 2D blitting Mirror, Stretch, Blur and Fade Screen-Sized sprites Transparency Fast Collision
  3D FEATURES XOF and 3DS Files Supported Landscape Terraforming Built-in 3D Primitives Dynamic Model Space Polygon Collision Detection Full Model Manipulation	Lock Models to Screen Model Animation Ambient Lighting Directional Lighting Texture Filtering Alphablending Fogging

  Darkbasic Public domain code archive: http://members.xoom.com/DBArchive/

• Games Basic - a Basic compiler just for graphics and games. It uses DirectX.

  Pascal

• Free pascal
• P32 - Pascal compiler.

• Compilers.net
• List of free compilers at Bloodshed.net - C++, Pascal, Basic, TopLogo, XBasic, GNAT.
• Free compiler list
• Freebyte - lots of free developer resources here.

  C/C++

• ACC c - Protected mode DOS c compiler for 386+. No c++, just plain C, no type checking in function parameters.
• Attoc - generates assembly code from C code.
• Borland C++ 5.5 - now free.
• Cygwin - a port of GCC to Windows.
• DJGPP - C++ compiler
• EIC C interpreter - pointer-safe
• Gnu CPP
• LCC - lcc is a retargetable compiler for ISO Standard C. It generates code for the ALPHA, SPARC, MIPS R3000, and Intel x86 and its successors.
• LCC-Win32 - C (not C++) compiler which can make console (DOS) or Windows apps, plus DLLs. Comes with: IDE, debugger, makefile generator, resource editor, profiler, version control system, MMX instruction support, etc. Plus 200 page manual. Alt site: http://www.q-software-solutions.com/lccwin32/.
• Mingw - C++ compiler
• Pacific C - free C compiler for DOS with IDE.
• Turbo C - Borland's now free Pascal and C++ compilers.
• XS Compiler - supports multiple languages, makes 32 bit protected mode EXEs for DOS or Windows, compiles C compatible code, has EXE compression, supports DLLs, inline assembler, direct keyboard library, Sound Blaster lib, serial mouse lib, PCX and GIF libs, FLI/FLC libs, more.
• List of free compilers at Bloodshed.net - C++, Pascal, Basic, TopLogo, XBasic, GNAT.

C++ Sites

• Codeguru.com
• http://www.cprogramming.com
• Snippets.org - C code organized by category. Good site.
• Sourcebank.com

  Perl

• Perl.com
• Perl.org
• Activestate Perl

• Argo UML
• UML Studio - free UML package that generates code for: C++, Java, CORBA ADL, ADA 95; and docs for: HTML, RTF. Also at argouml.tigris.org.

• Dev C++ - libraries
• The Free Country - lots o' libraries.

• All Basic Code - lists Basic code snippes, Basic compilers, interpreters, DLLs, libraries, and more. A very good resource. Also home of RapidQ, a VB-like Windows compiler.
• Developer's Network Access - lots of links categorized by type.
• Sourceforge - free project and sourcecode management for open source software. Features: bug manager, task manager, CVS source manager, mailing lists, forums.