Prev: Linux on the BBC
Next: Comic Relief 2009 - A call for programmers
From: Tom Morris on 30 Nov 2008 19:42
On 2008-09-08, Paul Potter <pryan_st(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
> Folderol wrote:
>> On Sun, 07 Sep 2008 22:11:00 +0100
>> Paul Potter <pryan_st(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> This is more of a retro project, hence the simpleness of what I'm after.
>>
>> Sounds like you're an old BBC BASIC user - I was at one time.
>>
>> I can seriously recommend switching to python. You can do 'trial bits'
>> in a command line window, and almost any text editor will recognise a
>> python script and intelligently highlight stuff for you - I use kwrite
>> for preference.
>>
>> You can work at whatever level of complexity you like from a simple
>> linear script to full-blown OO coding.
>>
>> The only thing that takes a bit of getting used to is that everything
>> is controlled by indenting.
>>
>
> Oh yes, I love BBC BASIC. I'm all for learning new languages though.

Try Ruby too. It's a fully object-oriented scripting language. A lot of
the syntax and constructions are similar to Python, but it's a beautiful
and sweet language. <http://tryruby.hobix.com> lets you try it out.

The only reason why anyone should have learned BASIC is that one is
using a system like the old BBC Micro or something else which supported
nothing better. Now we have plenty of excellent, free scripting
languages that are widely supported, well-documented and have excellent
libraries. Use those instead. GOTO rots brains.

--
Tom Morris
<http://tommorris.org>
From: Gordon Henderson on 1 Dec 2008 03:18
In article <6pgq7nF83ikaU1(a)mid.individual.net>,
Tom Morris <tom(a)tommorris.org> wrote:
>On 2008-09-08, Paul Potter <pryan_st(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
>> Folderol wrote:
>>> On Sun, 07 Sep 2008 22:11:00 +0100
>>> Paul Potter <pryan_st(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> This is more of a retro project, hence the simpleness of what I'm after.
>>>
>>> Sounds like you're an old BBC BASIC user - I was at one time.
>>>
>>> I can seriously recommend switching to python. You can do 'trial bits'
>>> in a command line window, and almost any text editor will recognise a
>>> python script and intelligently highlight stuff for you - I use kwrite
>>> for preference.
>>>
>>> You can work at whatever level of complexity you like from a simple
>>> linear script to full-blown OO coding.
>>>
>>> The only thing that takes a bit of getting used to is that everything
>>> is controlled by indenting.
>>>
>>
>> Oh yes, I love BBC BASIC. I'm all for learning new languages though.
>
>Try Ruby too. It's a fully object-oriented scripting language. A lot of
>the syntax and constructions are similar to Python, but it's a beautiful
>and sweet language. <http://tryruby.hobix.com> lets you try it out.
>
>The only reason why anyone should have learned BASIC is that one is
>using a system like the old BBC Micro or something else which supported
>nothing better. Now we have plenty of excellent, free scripting
>languages that are widely supported, well-documented and have excellent
>libraries. Use those instead. GOTO rots brains.

BBC Basic was one of the better "basics" out there. It supported functions
with parameters, multi line if/then/else, long variable names and lots
of other neat constructs. It was as far removed from the original BASIC
as you could get and still have something that vaguely resembled BASIC.

And you can still get it today and it runs under Linux. It's called
Brandy. (and it a standard debian package too)

These days I write scripts in PHP (command liney-stuff without the
web side)

Gordon
 | 
Pages: 1
Prev: Linux on the BBC
Next: Comic Relief 2009 - A call for programmers