BASIC
From Maze
(Difference between revisions)
(→Outline (to be replaced)) | (→Outline (to be replaced)) | ||
| Line 10: | Line 10: | ||
BASIC (along with COBOL) seems to be one of the major whipping boys among programming languages. Inextricably associated with Microsoft and that bane of structured programmers, GOTO, it is said to encourage the writing of spaghetti code, to be unbearably slow, and to be suitable only for children and amateurs. Yet many programmers in the early 21st century remember BASIC fondly - as they should. The language was a popular success, worked well for small programs that tested the possibilities of computing, and fostered creativity and innovation by new categories of computer users. | BASIC (along with COBOL) seems to be one of the major whipping boys among programming languages. Inextricably associated with Microsoft and that bane of structured programmers, GOTO, it is said to encourage the writing of spaghetti code, to be unbearably slow, and to be suitable only for children and amateurs. Yet many programmers in the early 21st century remember BASIC fondly - as they should. The language was a popular success, worked well for small programs that tested the possibilities of computing, and fostered creativity and innovation by new categories of computer users. | ||
| − | |||
| − | === Outline (to be replaced) === | ||
| − | |||
| − | * Programming and high-level programming languages | ||
| − | |||
| − | * Dartmouth BASIC | ||
| − | ** Line numbers, starting with 10 | ||
| − | ** Flow control and GOTO | ||
| − | *** BASIC not a structured programming language (no blocks, etc.) | ||
| − | *** Many of BASIC's control flow concepts are taken directly from machine language | ||
| − | *** Dijkstra's arguments against GOTO | ||
| − | *** Vs. FOR NEXT, GOSUB, IF THEN | ||
| − | ** PRINT | ||
| − | ** "READY" | ||
| − | *** Originally used for output to print terminals | ||
| − | *** semicolon | ||
| − | ** Educational use, teaching of BASIC in schools more generally | ||
| − | ** Background on the functions in BASIC. Why are the particular functions in BASIC present? | ||
| − | |||
| − | * Open access to BASIC, development of BASIC dialects on minicomputers | ||
| − | |||
| − | * Microsoft, BASIC for the Altair (their first product), and Microsoft BASICs | ||
| − | ** PEEK, POKE | ||
| − | |||
| − | * C64 BASIC | ||
| − | |||
| − | * The circulation of code in print (magazines and books) | ||
| − | |||
| − | * BASIC in memory and culture (memorization of one liners) | ||
| − | |||
| − | * Uses of BASIC in commercial programs | ||
| − | |||
| − | * BASIC's legacy | ||
