BlitzMax & Blitz3D

besides the language structure and 3D is there
any difference in what you can do with BlitzMax ?
i.e. Can you do things in BlitzMax that you
couldn't do in Blitz3D (for 2D things).
Any help appreciated.
Thanks !!
S/D

Quite a lot.
The language of BlitzMax is several worlds more powerfull:
1. Type Extension
2. Object Oriented (Types are no classes)
3. Function Pointers
4. Capability to use C / C++ directly
5. Reflection for runtime identification of classes and execution of methods by name (realtime name evaluation)

thanks Dreamora ! :)

Yeah, +
1. Cross platform
2. Compile C direclty with MINGW installed
3. 2D in 3D from the getgo -> stuff like realtime sprite rotation, scaling and colour effects.
4. Has OpenGL as well as DX drivers.
5. Has a superior compiler, so most code should be faster.

The only disadvantages of Max I can think of:
1. Garbage collector frustrates efforts interfacing to some dlls.
2. No hardware image buffers.

Overall Max is far the superior language, especially if you're only interested in 2D.

Thanks Nomen

Well, it can be harder to interact with some dlls, but I will add the GC and the fact that BM is a managed language as a very possitive thing, so not a disadvantage IMHO.

Yes, as typesafeness which ensures that you don't assign "apples" to "bananas" while allowing you to assign both of them to "fruit" if you extended them from fruit.

It enforces "thinking then typing"

I wouldn't say that.. take a look at minib3d, its more then capable of a game, and its getting an upgrade!