The way I learned Dark Basic is thus far the best way I've figured out how to learn programming languages.
1) Download a code sample, starting with simple
print "hello world" stuff and slowly finding more advanced ones as you go.
2) Load the source code into Dark Edit or Code Keeper -
not the native editor.
3) Open up the HTML help files and have them running in the background.
4) Go through the source code you've downloaded and comment it (REM statements or `) line by line, explaining what each line of code does. When you come across a command you don't know, check the help files and try to deduce what it's doing. Sometimes you will have to skip a command and come back to it but eventually you'll figure it out.
Here's an example:
BEFORE...
CLS
SET DISPLAY MODE 800,600,32
SYNC ON:SYNC RATE 0
HIDE MOUSE
and AFTER:
`Clear the screen
CLS
`This sets the monitor resolution and bitdepth
`here we set it to 800 x 600, 32 bit
SET DISPLAY MODE 800,600,32
`Turn on manual sync, which is manually controlling when
`the screen updates. Here it's being set to 0 which is
`as fast as the computer will go.
SYNC ON:SYNC RATE 0
`This command hides the ugly default mouse pointer
HIDE MOUSE
Does that help?
http://www.canceriannewmedia.com
