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BASIC computer language turns 40
The Salt Lake Tribune ^
| April 30, 2004
| J.M. Hirsch The Associated Press
Posted on 05/01/2004 10:22:14 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
No way I thought it was that old. I remember learning it on Apple II-somethings as a 3rd grader back in the mid-80's.
41
posted on
05/01/2004 12:00:12 PM PDT
by
July 4th
(You need to click "Abstimmen")
To: July 4th
My first computer language, prepared me for C++ and java.
PRINT "Vote Bush".
To: kdot
I can't answer those questions, but I never did anything with DEC.
I did use the Test Under Mask on the 360 Assembler language.
43
posted on
05/01/2004 12:08:35 PM PDT
by
Ernest_at_the_Beach
(The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States - and war is what they got!!!!)
To: South40
Thanks for the info. It seems so long ago.
44
posted on
05/01/2004 12:12:51 PM PDT
by
pt17
To: Moose4
10 ? "DUBYA IS GOING TO CAUSE A LANDSLIDE!;"
20 GOTO 10
I learned BASIC on my Atari 1200XL. I remember copying pages and pages of code out of these thick computer magazines in order to get a picture to come out. I remember one that took me a few hours between my brother and I that was called Farah. When we finally ran it, it turned out to be a picture of a faucet!
45
posted on
05/01/2004 12:13:21 PM PDT
by
FreeManWhoCan
((!Kerry es una CHANQLETA! The kind that goes between the big stinky toe!))
To: Moose4
***10 PRINT "JOHN F. KERRY IS NOT FIT TO BE PRESIDENT"
20 GOTO 10 ***
LOL!
Reminds me of my first computer over twenty years ago. KayPro...16K...came with instructions to write your own programs with BASIC.
So I did! Man, was I proud! I even wrote a program that called for a password. It worked! It worked so well that a week later when I tried to get into the program, I learned the most important lesson of all: DON'T FORGET YOUR PASSWORD. More than twenty years later, I STILL can't remember that password. LOL!
But, for its time, the KayPro was a great little machine with the best word processor ever written.
46
posted on
05/01/2004 12:15:07 PM PDT
by
kitkat
To: roadcat
I was amazed at the expanded repertoir of BASIC commands over that of the college system that cost 100 times as much. I introduced my class to programming in BASIC when our school system installed a teletype machine networked with 7 other schools. (early 70's) They put games on the system to attract students, then took them off when the students did not want to do anything else.
One of my students programmed the machine to try all system passwords and stop when it cracked the protection code so he could take over and put the games back on line.
He wound up with a "A". (I did not teach how to write that particular program, but did include looping and testing.)
47
posted on
05/01/2004 12:15:27 PM PDT
by
KC_for_Freedom
(Sailing the highways of America, and loving it.)
To: All
Another language that goes back a ways is APL:
____________________________________________________________
History
APL stands for "A Programming Language." It was created in the 1960's by Ken Iverson and his colleagues at IBM. Mathematically inspired, its main purpose was to serve as a powerful executable notation for mathematical algorithms. What APL is best known for is its use of non-ASCII symbols, including some Greek letters. It is a dynamically typed interactive, array oriented language with a dynamic scope. In APL, all expressions are evaluated from right to left.
Significant Language Features
- Non-Standard Character Set - APL makes use of a character set which contains some non-ASCII characters, including some Greek letters.
- Dynamic Array Universe - APL's environment consists of arrays, created dynamically.
- Interaction - APL is an interactive language.
<! Where is this language used? simulation, application programming, education, embedded systems, etc. >Areas of Application
- Mathematical Algorithms
- Statistics
APL - Array Programming Language
You could do some neat stuff with the language.
48
posted on
05/01/2004 12:17:25 PM PDT
by
Ernest_at_the_Beach
(The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States - and war is what they got!!!!)
To: jalisco555
I remember pulling an all-nighter at the computer center when some poor guy dropped a shoebox full of punch cards. They scattered everywhere. The guy was almost in tears and the rest of us truly felt his pain.
Ahh, yes, the good old days (NOT) when you were nearly finished sorting 20 or so trays of punch cards on an 082 and then dropped a tray.
I wonder if there's any old-timers out there who remember the "go find some color brushes for colored cards" joke that was always played on newbies.
49
posted on
05/01/2004 12:20:53 PM PDT
by
pt17
To: Moose4
ROFL.
Ah, memories.
50
posted on
05/01/2004 12:22:23 PM PDT
by
Professional Engineer
(Welcome to the Free Republic ~ You can logout any time you like, but you can't ever leave.)
To: festus
Wow, the PET was the first computer I ever used.
51
posted on
05/01/2004 12:24:08 PM PDT
by
Professional Engineer
(Welcome to the Free Republic ~ You can logout any time you like, but you can't ever leave.)
To: All
52
posted on
05/01/2004 12:26:16 PM PDT
by
Ernest_at_the_Beach
(The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States - and war is what they got!!!!)
To: rdb3
ping for the old guys
53
posted on
05/01/2004 12:30:34 PM PDT
by
Jalapeno
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Am I the only one who misses BASIC?
I wrote very useful and much used programs in the 70s and early 80s to solve engineering, surveying and astronomic reduction programs that I could still use today if there was a modern version of the language.
The only thing I can find that comes close to the Cadillac of BASIC languages, HP BASIC, is Liberty Basic, which has been "fancied up" almost to uselessness for all but hard core programmers.
The beauty of BASIC was that literally anyone with a semi-competent mastery of math could write a program to do pretty much anything.
With the advance into 32-bit programming and with the gross advance in computer speeds, a modern BASIC would be a killer application.
Where is the modern Bill Gates?
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
55
posted on
05/01/2004 12:34:23 PM PDT
by
Jalapeno
Comment #56 Removed by Moderator
To: mikegi
Yes, starting with most Windows source code. Oh really?!? Windows is written in BASIC?
No, but they are related....Microsoft started back in the late 70s selling a basic interpreter (written by Bill Gates). In 1977, they replaced it with AppleSoft Basic, which was written by... Microsoft. They paid $21,000 for an 8-year license.
When the Macintosh was being developed, Steve Jobs was scared there wouldn't be enough applications, so he gave Microsoft rights to use the GUI (used in Windows) in exchange for commitments to write macintosh software. When the macintosh release date was delayed, and Bill Gates threatened to suspend development unless they gave him a better deal. At the same time, the AppleSoft license was renewed (The Apple II was Apple's only profitable product at this point, and they needed AppleSoft) in exchange for canning Mac Basic.
In 1989, Apple sued MS for look and feel infringement, and identified 189 areas where the infringed. The judge declared 179 were covered by the previous licensing deal, and 10 were not copyrightable.
Of course, VB did let anyone write a windows application fairly easily, and has helped to keep windows in their dominant position.
To: Publius6961
With the advance into 32-bit programming and with the gross advance in computer speeds, a modern BASIC would be a killer application.
Where is the modern Bill Gates? Very good question! Are there no young teenage genius guys out there anymore?
58
posted on
05/01/2004 12:50:11 PM PDT
by
roadcat
To: roadcat
They are looking toward Law School!
59
posted on
05/01/2004 12:52:47 PM PDT
by
Ernest_at_the_Beach
(The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States - and war is what they got!!!!)
To: Jalapeno
60
posted on
05/01/2004 12:57:36 PM PDT
by
Ernest_at_the_Beach
(The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States - and war is what they got!!!!)
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