Comparison of C/C++ and FreeBASIC

• Source: https://www.freebasic.net/wiki/wikka.php?wakka=TblComparisonC
• Last revised: 2020-08-22

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C/C++FreeBASIC

variable declaration

int a;
int a, b, c;

dim a as long
dim as long a, b, c

uninitialized variable

int a;``dim a as long = any

zero-initialized variable

int a = 0;``dim a as long

initialized variable

int a = 123;``dim a as long = 123

array

int a[4];
a[0] = 1;

dim a(0 to 3) as long
a(0) = 1

pointer

int a;
int *p;
p = &a
*p = 123;

dim a as long
dim p as long ptr
p = @a
*p = 123

structure, user-defined type

struct UDT {
int myfield;

}

type UDT
myfield as long

end type

typedef, type alias

typedef int myint;``type myint as long

struct pointer

struct UDT x;
struct UDT *p;
p = &x
p->myfield = 123;

dim x as UDT
dim p as UDT ptr
p = @x
p->myfield = 123

function declaration

int foo( void );``declare function foo( ) as long

function body

int foo( void ) {
return 123;

}

function foo( ) as long
return 123

end function

sub declaration

void foo( void );``declare sub foo( )

sub body

void foo( void ) {
}

sub foo( )
end sub

byval parameters

void foo( int param );
foo( a );

declare sub foo( byval param as long )
foo( a )

byval pointers to parameters

void foo( int *param );
foo( &a );

declare sub foo( byval param as long ptr )
foo( @a )

byref parameters

void foo( int& param );
foo( a );

declare sub foo( byref param as long )
foo( a )

statement separator

;

:

<end-of-line>

for loop

for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
...

}

for i as long = 0 to 9
...

next

while loop

while (condition) {
...

}

while condition
...

wend

do-while loop

do {
...

} while (condition);

do
...

loop while condition

if block

if (condition) {
...

} else if (condition) {
...

} else {
...

}

if condition then
...

elseif condition then
...

else
...

end if

switch, select

switch (a) {
case 1:
...
break;

case 2:
case 3:
...
break;

default:
...
break;

}

select case a
case 1
...

case 2, 3
...

case else
...

end select

string literals, zstrings

char *s = "Hello!";
char s[] = "Hello!";

dim s as zstring ptr = @"Hello!"
dim s as zstring * 6+1 = "Hello!"

hello world

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
printf("Hello!\n");
return 0;

}

print "Hello!"

comments

// foo
/* foo */

' foo
/' foo '/

compile-time checks

#if a

#elif b

#else

#endif``#if a

#elseif b

#else

#endif

compile-time target system checks

#ifdef _WIN32``#ifdef __FB_WIN32__

module/header file names

foo.c, foo.h``foo.bas, foo.bi

typical compiler command to create an executable

gcc foo.c -o foo``fbc foo.bas

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Last reviewed by MrSwiss on April 6, 2018 Note: changed Integer to Long (where needed)