Re: My First Computer (was Computing Editorial)

[CBFalconer <cbfalconer@yahoo.com>]

Lee Hart wrote:
> Carl Gundel replied:
>
... snip ...
> 
> > I think this is an important feature, but it certainly wasn't needed
> > for me to get started when I learned BASIC. In fact, too many fancy
> > features probably would have scared me off. ;-)
> 
> Exactly my point!
> 
> > Many people who enjoy programming for fun will never do it to earn a
> > living, and IMHO it's fine to have a language which can accomodate
> > the casual tinkerers as long as it can also accomodate more advanced
> > students. Learning BASIC early on didn't stop me from learning Forth,
> > C, Smalltalk and Java later.
> 
> I agree completely. In fact, when learning is also easy and fun, people
> do a lot more of it. The existence of BASIC *encouraged* me to learn
> other languages!

Pascal is much better for the purpose, especially ISO 7185
Pascal.  The result is extremely simple, yet powerful.  When
combined with a good IDE use is extremely easy.  Unfortunately the
good IDE of Turbo Pascal is crippled by the absence of necessary
language features, which seriously (and unnecessarily) harm full
use.  But standing on its own it is a great improvement on any
BASIC.  I think the reserved word count is 35.  After that the
user only needs to learn a few standard procedure names, read,
readln, write, writeln, eof, eoln, reset and rewrite will handle
almost anything he needs.

-- 
Chuck F (cbfalconer@yahoo.com) (cbfalconer@worldnet.att.net)
   Available for consulting/temporary embedded and systems.
   <http://cbfalconer.home.att.net>  USE worldnet address!