{{fbdoc item="title" value="About"}}----
About the ""FreeBASIC"" project.

	The ""FreeBASIC"" project is a set of cross-platform development tools initially created by Andre Victor.  It consists of the self-hosting ##fbc## compiler, target assembler/linker/archive tools, the runtime library, the portable gfxlib2 graphics runtime, the optional GPU-oriented gfxlib3 runtime, and the sfxlib sound runtime.

	The current source tree contains native or cross-target support for DOS, Windows, Windows CE, Linux, Android, JavaScript/Emscripten, Darwin/macOS, Cygwin, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, DragonFly BSD, Haiku, Solaris, illumos, NuttX, RISC OS, AROS, Wii homebrew, and the original Xbox.  Supported CPU families include x86, x86-64, ARM, AArch64, PowerPC, RISC-V, s390x, LoongArch64, m68k, and MIPS.  Package availability and runtime completeness vary by target; ##[[CompilerOpttarget|-target]]## and the platform guides record the current boundaries.

	The project also contains thin bindings (header files) for the C runtime and many third-party libraries and operating-system APIs.  A binding supplies declarations, but the matching external library still has to be installed for the selected target.  See ##[[ExtLibTOC|External Library Bindings]]## and the examples supplied with the source tree.
	
	""FreeBASIC"" is a high-level programming language supporting procedural, object-oriented and meta-programming paradigms, with a syntax compatible to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QuickBASIC|Microsoft QuickBASIC]]. In fact, the ""FreeBASIC"" project originally began as an attempt to create a code-compatible, free alternative to ""QuickBASIC"", but it has since grown into a powerful development tool. ""FreeBASIC"" can be seen to extend the capabilities of ""QuickBASIC"" in a number of ways, supporting more data types, language constructs, programming styles, and modern platforms and APIs.

{{fbdoc item="see"}}
	- ##[[CompilerRelease120History|FreeBASIC 1.10 to 1.20 development history]]##
	- ##[[CompilerRequirements|Requirements]]##
	- ##[[CompilerInstalling|Installing FreeBASIC]]##

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