BASIC-256: Computer Programming for (Complete) Beginners

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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Interested in getting your kids more literate in the computer world other than just hitting the Start Button? Start them out with the very basics….really, BASIC-256. The open source code program will take the novice through the steps of basic programming.

BASIC-256 does provide a simple, unintimidating environment for total programming novices, though, perhaps middle or high-school students.
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I remember programming in BASIC and QBASIC back in the days. Such an easy programming language to learn. I've made a few games and a rudimentary word processor on my old Intel 8088 XT PC.

I'd honestly say it's a great way to introduce children to a programming language especially when our workplace is shifting from manufacturing-based jobs to more technical-oriented and service-oriented jobs.
 
It is practically impossible to teach good programming to students that have had a prior exposure to BASIC: as potential programmers they are mentally mutilated beyond hope of regeneration. - Edsger W. Dijkstra
 
Meister said:
It is practically impossible to teach good programming to students that have had a prior exposure to BASIC: as potential programmers they are mentally mutilated beyond hope of regeneration. - Edsger W. Dijkstra
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Early languages vs. later fancy languages, I relate to misguided idealism. Like someone trying to bring locomotion to the world through wheels vs. a mechanical walker. The walker makes a more impressive and artful display but wheels just work.
 
Ah memories of 1984-ish....
Beginners Allpurpose Symbolic Instruction Code

Those where the days, learning to program on TRS-80s in high school.
 
octoberasian said:
I remember programming in BASIC and QBASIC back in the days. Such an easy programming language to learn. I've made a few games and a rudimentary word processor on my old Intel 8088 XT PC.

I'd honestly say it's a great way to introduce children to a programming language especially when our workplace is shifting from manufacturing-based jobs to more technical-oriented and service-oriented jobs.
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The big problem is that there are only so many programming jobs out there and once those positions get filled, everyone else still has to find a career or job doing something. Programming isn't totally useless. In fact, it's really, really important for a lot of things, but 1 person can program something that an infinite number of people can use so we just don't need that many coders around.

Its a great idea to show kids programming, but a lot of coding jobs are dead end cube work that'll just force them to sit down in a yucky cube all day in a really toxic, unhealthy workplace.
 
CreepyUncleGoogle said:
The big problem is that there are only so many programming jobs out there and once those positions get filled, everyone else still has to find a career or job doing something. Programming isn't totally useless. In fact, it's really, really important for a lot of things, but 1 person can program something that an infinite number of people can use so we just don't need that many coders around.

Its a great idea to show kids programming, but a lot of coding jobs are dead end cube work that'll just force them to sit down in a yucky cube all day in a really toxic, unhealthy workplace.
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Most jobs are dead end, what does that matter?
 
I remember coding BASIC on a Commodore 64. I picked up rudimentary stuff from those computer magazines in the 80s. 'RUN', 'AND', 'GOTO': is it the same thing that you guys are talking about here?
 
Way back in the 70's, I learned Fortran. Never had much use for it as I'm not a programmer, but it did help me understand the basic concepts of how things work.
 
I cut my programming teeth on Atari BASIC. I learned to program basic before I learned to ride a bike. Helps having a dad who headed an Atari users club. Good times.

BASIC, Pascal and FORTRAN are the only languages I have learned. FORTRAN is still fairly important at work.
 
Well, you can teach the concepts of programming using BASIC, but its best not to linger there more then you have to.

Also, there's a LOT of legacy BASIC code out there; a lot of companies used the old HP Calculators (HP-80 series) back when they were cheap alternative's to IBM PC's and mainframes. And porting those programs to Windows (generally using HT BASIC, which of course isn't 1 to 1 compatible with most of HP's bastardized BASIC dialects) is always a fun job.
 
I learned BASIC and advanced BASIC loaded by cassette drive on a TI-99/4a with 16KB of RAM in 1979-80. Weee!
I still have that computer too. I take it out of the box and hit a few keys for nostalgia (the keys have this distinctive ringing sound as your type, no other KB I know sounds like it).

ahh... nostalgia
 
I remember basic for the C64 and I think I had a floppy. I also remember the cartridge for the 2600 in their catalog.
I also took it as an elective in HS for a semester and did pretty well, never used it since though.

My neighbor is a retired IBM programmer who can probably do Fortran in her head, that and assembly language.
 
pfff, I programmed BASIC on a Philips G7000, I had the extremely expensive module which made you capable of writing programs on the membrane keyboard, but I didnt have the tape recorder so couldnt save, so it was keeping the console ON for days after having written a program. :p
 
CreepyUncleGoogle said:
...we just don't need that many coders around.
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Sure we do. It just happens that this one coder is pretty bad and writes buggy code. Sure, it's a dull job, but it is a job.

I do agree though that the days of writing new code are long gone for the most part though.

The unfortunate thing about software development is that in school, they teach you how to write nice, structured, defined, readable, and maintainable code. In the real world? You're just placing duct tape on everything to keep something together for as long as possible because it's the quickest way to keep the program running.
 
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