BASIC

In 1985, the developers of BASIC argued that "until the appearance of modern screen editors, the line-numbering system we devised was the easiest editing system available" (12). [This is my point too ... -nm] It's worth nothing that the Commodore 64 sat at the cusp of line-numbering editing and visual screen editors. It ''was'' possible with the C64 to edit a line of BASIC without retyping the entire line. Using a combination of SHIFT, ARROW, and INST/DEL keys, it was easy enough with the Commodore to edit a few characters of a line. One can't help wonder whether this move toward visual line editing, though a boon to programming in general, was an anathema to the ethos of BASIC, a sign of proliferating complexity.

In 1985, the developers of BASIC argued that "until the appearance of modern screen editors, the line-numbering system we devised was the easiest editing system available" (12). [This is my point too ... -nm] It's worth nothing that the Commodore 64 sat at the cusp of line-numbering editing and visual screen editors. It ''was'' possible with the C64 to edit a line of BASIC without retyping the entire line. Using a combination of SHIFT, ARROW, and INST/DEL keys, it was easy enough with the Commodore to edit a few characters of a line. One can't help wonder whether this move toward visual line editing, though a boon to programming in general, was an anathema to the ethos of BASIC, a sign of proliferating complexity.

== Circulating Programs in Print ==

== Circulating Programs in Print ==