Eventually they started publishing programs in machine language with a sum check for accuracy. I worked for hours on a racing program but it was great. I also put in a database program from one of the mags that was my first experience in db's. I used it to keep track of players, teams and payments etc for the CYC Athletic program at our parrish. Ahh the good old days.
Yep, you even had part of your keyboard configured as a number pad. The edge of my C-64 keyboard was worn slick from all the typing action, but it was a lot less frustrating than trying to find the errors in BASIC that had to be copied verbatim.