How do I view this VB source code? (Stupid computer question)

[samoth]

Okay, I tried to download this game and it's source code, but I can't seem to read the main program files. Some files open, but the main .exe one just... um, executes. How do I just run it's source code? Viewing it has it coming up as gibberish.

The page recommended "3)Scan the source code with Minnow's Project Scanner", so I downloaded that, too. But I have no idea how the damn thing works... there's no executable files in it.

This is just a small RPG game written in VB. I'm probably doing something really obvious or dumb, but this totally isn't my forte. I don't need to buy some stupid software in order to read programming languages, do I?

 

[javaguru]

You can't decompile a .exe but if you have the source code it should open without problem.
:edit:
The source files are compiled to a .exe and the source files are the actual code used to create the .exe.

 

[jnuts]

only VB4 or lower can be decompiled... or something like that. Unless it's really old software, you won't be able to unroll the code.

 

[samoth]

Yeah, but the link says, "Download Code". There's a huge .frx file that opens to gibberish... I'm assuming that's the main part of the source? There's a .frm file with the same prefix name, but it doesn't seem long enough to be the majority of the source. Or maybe I'm wrong. I'm obviously quite clueless, lol.

 

[javaguru]

The .frm is a form. It's typically used as a user interface and it can/does hold code but I would expect a program to have modules, especially a game. However, it could hold the entire code for the game, hypothetically. Do you have the appropriate version of VB installed on your system?

 

[samoth]

Do you have the appropriate version of VB installed on your system?

I have to have VB installed? I figured it was something like HTML or Java, where you could simply see the source by clicking "view source".

The downloaded files contain some .ini files, the .exe file which plays the game, some .map files, quite a few .bas files, a .vbp file, the the .frm and .frx files, the latter of which is the largest file next to the .exe file.

Man, I suck at this, lol.

 

[javaguru]

Yeah, you need VB installed on your system.

 

[jerkbox]

bas files will have the code, but i think you will need something that can edit visual basic files

 

[jnuts]

I have to have VB installed?

TITCR

 

[gjohnson5]

This is why I'm a unix Administrator
Perl , python , Php , expect , any shell language , modula II only requires a text editor

 

[samoth]

Ugg, don't tell me I have to buy VB, now, do I? I should just stick with playing with Java Scripts... I certainly wasn't looking to buy anything.

So what's this big .frx file that I can't read? There's an FrmMain.frm file and a much larger FrmMain.frx file.

bas files will have the code, but i think you will need something that can edit visual basic files

It seems to look okay to me. If it's showing up like this, how would I be unable to edit it? Granted, I haven't tried or anything, lol.

For s = 0 To MAX_NPCS
If Npc(s).X > PlayerX - 5 And Npc(s).X < PlayerX + 5 And Npc(s).Y > PlayerY - 5 And Npc(s).Y < PlayerY + 5 Then
If Npc(s).X = X(1) And Npc(s).Y = Y(1) Then
If Npc(s).Visible = 1 Then
If Npc(s).Map = MAPOPEN Then
Call BitBlt(FrmMain.PicMap.hDC, X(2) * 32, Y(2) * 32, 32, 32, FrmMain.picNpcMSK.hDC, Npc(s).Direction * 32, 0, vbSrcPaint)
Call BitBlt(FrmMain.PicMap.hDC, X(2) * 32, Y(2) * 32, 32, 32, FrmMain.picNPC.hDC, Npc(s).Direction * 32, Npc(s).Sprite * 32, vbSrcAnd)
End If
End If
End If
End If
Next s
End Sub

 

[samoth]

This is why I'm a unix Administrator
Perl , python , Php , expect , any shell language , modula II only requires a text editor

I thought all programming languages could be done in notepad or a text editor. I know some programs you have to buy the platform (is that the right term? lol) or whatever to run it on, e.g. MatLab, but you can still take care of typing the code somewhere else. The crap I'm getting is like old DOS gibberish and old Kroz symbols:

y®eÎÿq¡Öe™ÿ0e™q?Hyyq¡¡ aq¡¡ a0e™00e0e™ aq¡¡00eHy®Hyyq¡¡Hyy0e™Hyy0e™00e0e™DDy0e™Hyyee™Hyyee™00eHy®Hyy0e™ a HyHH0ee ,L0ee ,L aH a ,L0eeH00eHH0eeHH aHH aH a000 aHH00eHH00eH00eHH a ,L ,Lq¡Ö ÿ00e™ ÿ00e™ ª 0e™ ª 0e™ ÿ0ÿe ª ÿe ÿ0ÂL ª ÿe ª ÿe ª ÿe ‰ÿe ÿ0Â ÿ0ÿe ª ÂL ª 0e™0e™Hyy

So I'm assuming whatever language this was is encrypted or I have to buy something to convert one set of computer symbols over to another.

 

[Lestat]

geek alert

 

[jerkbox]

maybe try this

http://www.freebasic.net/

 

[gjohnson5]

VB uses "projects" which include more then one file. I believe this is because You may want an explorer type window with certain options and tabs. That information is stoed in other files. To view the "project" properly , you need Vb installed. I believe it's just a Microsoft Implementation of Rapid Application Development

I thought all programming languages could be done in notepad or a text editor. I know some programs you have to buy the platform (is that the right term? lol) or whatever to run it on, e.g. MatLab, but you can still take care of typing the code somewhere else. The crap I'm getting is like old DOS gibberish and old Kroz symbols:

y®eÎÿq¡Öe™ÿ0e™q?Hyyq¡¡ aq¡¡ a0e™00e0e™ aq¡¡00eHy®Hyyq¡¡Hyy0e™Hyy0e™00e0e™DDy0e™Hyyee™Hyyee™00eHy®Hyy0e™ a HyHH0ee ,L0ee ,L aH a ,L0eeH00eHH0eeHH aHH aH a000 aHH00eHH00eH00eHH a ,L ,Lq¡Ö ÿ00e™ ÿ00e™ ª 0e™ ª 0e™ ÿ0ÿe ª ÿe ÿ0ÂL ª ÿe ª ÿe ª ÿe ‰ÿe ÿ0Â ÿ0ÿe ª ÂL ª 0e™0e™Hyy

So I'm assuming whatever language this was is encrypted or I have to buy something to convert one set of computer symbols over to another.

 

[samoth]

maybe try this

http://www.freebasic.net/

Looks interesting, but I don't know what FreeBasic is. I kinda want to get to the point where I have a generalized source code and an example of what it does... kinda why I picked this game. Most of the files are readable code, but that one is... encrypted, unformatted, broken or something.

I just picked VB 'cause I heard it's extremely easy to pick up. Maybe JavaScrips or something would be better?

 

[samoth]

VB uses "projects" which include more then one file. I believe this is because You may want an explorer type window with certain options and tabs. That information is stoed in other files. To view the "project" properly , you need Vb installed. I believe it's just a Microsoft Implementation of Rapid Application Development

Hmm. I figured everything was typed out, so there wouldn't be special windows or anything.

So can one download VB from MS or whoever, or is it something you have to pay a hundred bucks for... ?

 

[jerkbox]

Looks interesting, but I don't know what FreeBasic is. I kinda want to get to the point where I have a generalized source code and an example of what it does... kinda why I picked this game. Most of the files are readable code, but that one is... encrypted, unformatted, broken or something.

I just picked VB 'cause I heard it's extremely easy to pick up. Maybe JavaScrips or something would be better?

it's a BASIC editor, you should be able to open that project and the files with it - as opposed to paying for a BASIC editor from microsoft.

Javascript isn't a compiled language...it's a scripting language, VB Script is the microsoft answer to that.

what are you trying to do exactly?

 

[WODIN]

You can DL the .net express series from the Microsoft dev site for free. The suite lacks the enterprise scaling options that are in the full version.