MMBasic for VSCode

Complete MMBasic language support for Visual Studio Code, including syntax highlighting and serial port communication for Micromite, PicoMite and other MMBasic devices.

Updated for PicoMite V6.02.00 - Syntax highlighting and autocomplete based on the official PicoMite User Manual.

Features

🎨 Syntax Highlighting

• Full syntax highlighting for MMBasic keywords, functions, and commands
• Support for comments (' and REM)
• Number formats: decimal, hexadecimal (&H), binary (&B), octal (&O)
• Hardware and graphics command highlighting
• Code folding for blocks

💡 IntelliSense & Autocomplete

• Smart code completion for keywords, functions, and commands
• Parameter hints with snippets
• Hover documentation with syntax examples
• Context-aware suggestions

🗂️ Remote File Browser (New in v1.2.0)

• Browse files directly on your PicoMite device
• Upload/download files between computer and device
• Delete files remotely
• View A: (flash) and B: (SD card) drives
• Tree view in MMBasic sidebar

🐛 Basic Debugger (New in v1.2.0)

• Start debugging with F5
• Step through code with F10
• Inspect variable values during execution
• Evaluate expressions on the fly
• Debug output channel
• Variable inspection view

🔌 Serial Port Communication

• Connect directly to MMBasic devices via serial port
• Send programs from VSCode to your device
• Execute code line-by-line or selections
• Interactive terminal output
• Run and stop programs remotely
• List files on the device

Installation

From Source

1. Clone or download this repository

2. Install dependencies

   cd vscode-mmbasic
   npm install

3. Compile the TypeScript code

   npm run compile

4. Open in VSCode and test

   • Press F5 to launch Extension Development Host
   • Open a .bas or .mmb file

Package as VSIX

npm install -g @vscode/vsce
vsce package

Then install the .vsix file via Extensions → Install from VSIX...

Serial Port Setup

Quick Start

1. Connect your MMBasic device via USB
2. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P)
3. Run: MMBasic: Connect to Device
4. Select your serial port from the list

Configuration

Open VSCode settings and search for "MMBasic":

• Serial Port: Default port (e.g., COM3, /dev/ttyUSB0, /dev/tty.usbserial)
• Baud Rate: Communication speed (default: 38400)
  • Options: 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200
• Auto Connect: Automatically connect on startup
• Line Ending: Line termination for serial communication

Example settings.json:

{
  "mmbasic.serialPort": "/dev/ttyUSB0",
  "mmbasic.baudRate": 38400,
  "mmbasic.autoConnect": false,
  "mmbasic.lineEnding": "\\r\\n"
}

Commands

All commands are available via Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P):

Serial Connection

Command	Keyboard Shortcut	Description
MMBasic: Connect to Device	-	Connect to serial port
MMBasic: Disconnect from Device	-	Disconnect from device
MMBasic: Send Current File to Device	Ctrl+Shift+U	Upload entire file
MMBasic: Send Selection to Device	Ctrl+Enter	Send selected code or current line
MMBasic: Run Program on Device	Ctrl+Shift+R	Execute the program
MMBasic: Stop Program	-	Stop running program (Ctrl+C)
MMBasic: List Files on Device	-	Show files stored on device
MMBasic: Clear Terminal	-	Clear output window

File Browser (v1.2.0)

Command	Description
MMBasic: Refresh Files	Reload file list from device
MMBasic: Upload File to Device	Upload local file
MMBasic: Download File	Download file from device
MMBasic: Delete File	Delete file from device

Debugger (v1.2.0)

Command	Keyboard Shortcut	Description
MMBasic: Start Debugging	F5	Start debugging current file
MMBasic: Stop Debugging	Shift+F5	Stop debugging
MMBasic: Step Over	F10	Execute next line
MMBasic: Continue	F5 (in debug)	Continue execution
MMBasic: Inspect Variable	-	View variable value
MMBasic: Evaluate Expression	-	Evaluate expression

Status Bar

The status bar shows connection status:

• 🔌 MMBasic: Disconnected - Click to connect
• ✓ MMBasic: Connected - Click to disconnect

Usage Examples

Using Autocomplete

The extension provides intelligent code completion as you type:

1. Start typing a keyword

   • Type for → Get full FOR loop snippet
   • Type if → Get IF...THEN...END IF structure
   • Type sub → Get SUB...END SUB template

2. Function completion

   • Type print → See PRINT with parameter hints
   • Type sin → Get SIN function with parameter placeholder
   • Type len → Get LEN function ready to use

3. Hardware commands

   • Type setpin → Get SETPIN with mode options (DIN, DOUT, etc.)
   • Type pwm → Get PWM with parameter placeholders
   • Type i2c → See I2C commands (OPEN, WRITE, READ, CLOSE)

4. Hover for help

   • Hover over any keyword to see documentation
   • Examples and syntax shown in tooltip
   • Quick reference without leaving your code

Example 1: Upload and Run a Program

1. Write your MMBasic code:

' Blink LED example
SETPIN 13, DOUT

FOR i = 1 TO 10
  PIN(13) = 1
  PAUSE 500
  PIN(13) = 0
  PAUSE 500
NEXT i

PRINT "Done!"

2. Press Ctrl+Shift+U to send the file to the device
3. Press Ctrl+Shift+R to run the program

Example 2: Interactive Development

1. Connect to your device
2. Select a line or code block
3. Press Ctrl+Enter to execute it immediately
4. Watch the output in the MMBasic Serial terminal

Example 3: Testing Individual Lines

Write some test code:

PRINT "Hello from MMBasic!"
x = 42
PRINT "The answer is "; x

Place cursor on any line and press Ctrl+Enter to execute just that line.

Serial Terminal Output

All serial communication appears in the MMBasic Serial output panel:

• Sent commands are prefixed with >
• Device responses appear in real-time
• Use MMBasic: Clear Terminal to clear the output

Troubleshooting

"No serial ports found"

Windows:

• Install USB-to-Serial drivers for your device
• Check Device Manager for COM port

macOS:

• Port appears as /dev/tty.usbserial-* or /dev/tty.SLAB_USBtoUART
• May need to install CH340 or FTDI drivers

Linux:

• Add user to dialout group: sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER
• Log out and back in
• Check ls /dev/ttyUSB* or ls /dev/ttyACM*

"Permission denied" (Linux/macOS)

# Linux
sudo chmod 666 /dev/ttyUSB0

# Or add to dialout group (permanent)
sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER

Connection Fails

• Verify correct baud rate (38400 is standard for MMBasic)
• Try different line endings in settings
• Close other applications using the serial port
• Power cycle your device

Extension Won't Compile

Make sure you have the correct Node.js version:

node --version  # Should be v16 or higher
npm install
npm run compile

Supported File Extensions

• .bas - BASIC files
• .mmb - MMBasic files

Development

Project Structure

vscode-mmbasic/
├── src/
│   ├── extension.ts           # Main extension entry point
│   └── serialPortManager.ts   # Serial port handling
├── syntaxes/
│   └── mmbasic.tmLanguage.json  # Syntax highlighting
├── package.json               # Extension manifest
└── tsconfig.json             # TypeScript config

Building from Source

npm install
npm run compile
npm run watch  # Auto-compile on changes

Testing

Press F5 in VSCode to launch Extension Development Host.

Contributing

Contributions welcome! To add features:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

Known Limitations

• Serial port selection doesn't auto-detect all device types
• No file download from device yet (planned feature)
• Line-by-line execution may have small delays

Roadmap

• Download programs from device
• Auto-detection of MMBasic devices
• Code snippets and IntelliSense
• Integrated debugger support
• File manager for device storage
• Terminal with command history

License

GPL v2 License

Credits

• MMBasic language by Geoff Graham
• Extension development for the MMBasic community

Links

• MMBasic Official Site
• Micromite Information
• The Back Shed Forum

Support

For issues or questions:

• Check the troubleshooting section
• Open an issue on GitHub
• Visit the MMBasic community forums

---

Happy coding with MMBasic! 🚀