Remember the days before drag-and-drop UI builders and bloated frameworks? Back when programming meant typing raw code into a text-based editor, running it, and praying that you didn't get a Syntax error on line 20? If you do, then welcome back to the golden age of programming—where Quick Basic 4.5 ruled the scene.
And guess what? You don't need to dig out an old DOS machine or fire up DOSBox just to relive those moments. I've set up a virtual environment for Quick Basic 4.5.
A Brief History of Quick Basic 4.5
Microsoft released Quick Basic (QB) in 1985 as an improvement over GW-BASIC, which itself was a relic from the CP/M and early DOS days. QB 4.5, released in 1988, became one of the most popular versions because it introduced structured programming, a full-screen editor, and the ability to compile executables—meaning you could finally make standalone programs without needing an interpreter.
This was the foundation of programming before Windows, GUI applications, and bloated IDEs took over. If you wanted a menu, you coded it. If you wanted graphics, you used pixel plotting. And if you needed a database, well… you wrote one using sequential or random-access file handling.
Why did people love Quick Basic 4.5?
Even today, some programmers credit Quick Basic as their first love in coding before they moved on to languages like C, Java, or Python.
Bringing Nostalgia to the Web
I've set up the Quick Basic 4.5 virtual environment for a simple reason: nostalgia.
If you've ever typed out PRINT "Hello, World!" in a blue DOS screen, you know the charm of BASIC. This is your chance to relive that era, test out some old-school programs, or just have fun messing with a retro coding playground.
If you're new to BASIC, don't worry. Here are some classic Quick Basic programs you can run inside the emulator.
Try These Quick Basic 4.5 Programs
1. Hello, World! (Of Course!)
PRINT "Hello, World!"
END
A simple yet legendary first step.
2. The Ultimate "Are You Old?" Test
INPUT "Enter your birth year: ", year
age = 2025 - year
IF age >= 30 THEN
PRINT "You are officially a 90s kid!"
ELSE
PRINT "You're too young to know the struggles of dial-up internet!"
END IF
This one should hit close to home for many of us.
3. Simple Number Guessing Game
target = INT(RND * 10) + 1
CLS
PRINT "Guess a number between 1 and 10"
DO
INPUT "Your guess: ", guess
IF guess < target THEN PRINT "Too low! Try again."
IF guess > target THEN PRINT "Too high! Try again."
LOOP UNTIL guess = target
PRINT "Correct! You guessed it!"
END
Back in the day, this would have been mind-blowingly fun.
4. Drawing with ASCII Art
FOR i = 1 TO 10
PRINT STRING$(i, "*")
NEXT i
END
A simple triangle made of asterisks. Who needs modern game engines when you have ASCII art?
Why Bother with Quick Basic in 2025?
You might be wondering—why would anyone mess with Quick Basic 4.5 when we have modern languages like Python, JavaScript, and C#? Here's why:
So, if you ever feel like taking a trip back in time—or just want to see how programming worked before everything became drag-and-drop—head over to the Quick Basic 4.5 online emulator and start coding like it's 1995 again. Go ahead, write some spaghetti code, and enjoy the ride!
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