Improve PBP with integrated configuration
PBP is deficient in requiring config defines (and perhaps assembler code fragments) within the Basic program to get a PIC chip to even work at all. PBP should be expanded to provide complete coverage of the chip's functions so the programmer need only know BASIC as programmers using the Parallax Stamp do. At the very least PBP should provide a complete working base as good as the Stamp has, which more advanced programmers can chose to build in their directions of choice. Right now PBP doesn't work at all unless you add a set of configs and PBP Help key provides no help to create the set.
Then after you have a set of configs, PBP reports errors but still compiles anyway. Why is there no help to fix the errors? Maybe you should add expertese to PBP so it will work as well as Bill Gates' original Altair 8800 Basic instead of a kluge of barely compatible systems where secret code for the register settings is required for any program to actually work.
Oddly enough PBP claims to work with a LAN for updates but on my computer it shows no evidence of connecting to the internet either when the automatic or manual radio buttons are checked. Something needs to be done to update older copies of PBP to include support for the new PIC chips. Right now there are several .bas includes I've seen in sample code on this forum which are not available on my copy and unfortunately my vendor went out of business shortly after i bought in 2005.
Last but not least, since the help to do a set of configs on this forum is not consistent, promising help then simply referring the poster to the PIC data sheet (book) which is virtually unreadable to all but experts, it seems PBP should be upgraded to write the config section using a Wizard to ask questions and write based on the answers provided.
PS: Since newbies may require more help than this forum provides, there should be a sub-forum for recruiting consultants to provide answers that experts don't want to provide for free.
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