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From: 841613t@dragon.acadiau.ca (Don Tyzuk)
Subject: The Pervasive Use of BASIC
Message-ID: <1994Nov15.225242.27655@relay.acadiau.ca>
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Organization: Acadia University
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 22:52:42 GMT
Date: 1994-11-15T22:52:42+00:00
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Much of the debate on c.l.a. about "which p.l. to use?" has been
characterized as un productive.

I disagree.

It's important to engage in philisophical discourse about this
question, -- in the end it will be a case of judgement to 
select which p.l. to use.

Each time a particular p.l. is selected for a project, it adds
to the weight of evidence for or against its employment.

BASIC, BBx (of Texas), is a major force in Atlantic Canada's
software industry.

Why? I suspect because it's interpreted, not compiled.  Changes
can then be made while the end-product is running.  Re-compilation
and the necessary interruption in service to test and start the
newly modified application is not needed.

Is the app. mission critical? 

Yup.  I know that many municipal governments and large public
institutions rely on accounting software written in BBx.

I also know of flaws in these installed systems that have 
resulted in large monetary under-billings.

It's a pretty large leap from interpretted languages to software
quality, and I know I'm preaching to the converted, but in the
absence of time (or the knowledge) to publish a refereed paper,
it's my two cents worth for Team Ada.

-- 
Donald Tyzuk				| don.tyzuk@acadiau.ca
Undergraduate student			| P.O. Box 1406
Jodrey School of Computer Science	| Wolfville  NS  B0P 1X0
Acadia University			| Canada