QBasic for Beginners – Post 4: Operators in QBasic

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 Hello future programmers! 👋

Welcome to Post 4 of our QBasic learning series. In the previous lesson, we learned about variables and data types. Today, we’ll learn how to work with those variables using operators.

Simply put, operators tell the computer what to do with numbers and values—like adding, comparing, or making decisions.

What is an Operator?

An operator is a symbol that performs an action on data.

Example from daily life:

  • + means add

  • - means subtract

  • = means equal

In QBasic, operators help us:

  • Do calculations

  • Compare values

  • Combine conditions

  • Make decisions

Types of Operators in QBasic

QBasic mainly uses four types of operators:

  1. Arithmetic Operators

  2. Relational Operators

  3. Logical Operators

  4. String Operators

Let’s understand them one by one 👇

1. Arithmetic Operators

Used for mathematical calculations.

    
OperatorMeaning    Example
    +    Addition    a + b
    -    Subtraction    a - b
    *    Multiplication    a * b
    /    Division    a / b
    \    Integer Division    a \ b
    MOD    Remainder    a MOD b

Example Program:

CLS
a = 15
b = 4

PRINT "Addition: "; a + b
PRINT "Subtraction: "; a - b
PRINT "Multiplication: "; a * b
PRINT "Division: "; a / b
PRINT "Remainder: "; a MOD b

📝 Note:

  • MOD gives the remainder.

  • / gives decimal answers.

  • \ gives only whole numbers.

2. Relational Operators

Used to compare two values. The result is either TRUE or FALSE.

OperatorMeaning
=            Equal to
<>            Not equal to
<            Less than
>            Greater than
<=            Less than or equal
>=                   Greater than or equal

Example:

CLS
x = 10
y = 20

PRINT x < y
PRINT x = y
PRINT x <> y

These operators are very important for decision-making programs.

3. Logical Operators

Used to combine conditions.

OperatorMeaning
ANDBoth conditions must be true
ORAny one condition true
NOTReverses the condition

Example:

CLS
age = 18

PRINT age >= 16 AND age <= 25

✔ This will print TRUE if the age is between 16 and 25.

4. String Operators

Used with text (STRING) values.

Concatenation Operator (+)

Used to join strings.

CLS
first$ = "Hello "
second$ = "World"

PRINT first$ + second$

📌 Output:

Hello World

Why Operators Are Important

  • Without operators, programs cannot calculate or compare.

  • They help in decision making, loops, and real-life logic.

  • Almost every program uses operators.

Key Points to Remember

  • Operators perform actions on data.

  • Arithmetic operators do calculations.

  • Relational operators compare values.

  • Logical operators combine conditions.

  • String operators join text.

What’s Next?

In Post 5, we’ll learn about IF…THEN…ELSE statements, where operators will help the computer make decisions just like humans do 🤯

Until then—practice small programs, try changing values, and see what happens.
That’s how real learning happens 🚀

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