Basic (Was:Re: Why is Ada NOT ... )

Basic (Was:Re: Why is Ada NOT ... )

[sk]

sk <sk@noname.com> writes:
 >> Basic is a very valuable learning tool to get a
 >> feel for what programming is.
 >
 >I disagree.  Basic is a poor language to learn first.
 >Much better would be Ada or some dialect of ML.
 >
 >- Bob

I am not arguing that Basic is a good language (nor
bad). My point is that for beginners, who have little
concept of fundamental programming concepts (loops
arrays etc), Basic provides a frame of reference so
that these concepts have some solidity/meaning when
one runs across them later.

Without formal/structured environment (school, uni etc)
Basic is as good as any language to gain an understanding
of what programming is and why loops and arrays are
significant (or the pitfalls of implicit variables).

Given that QBasic shipped with the last MS OS I owned,
this seems to be a better introduction to programming
than spending money or time on downloading or purchasing
a complete GUI/IDE or GNAT to only find that it does not
meet ones needs.

(Replace Basic by any programming environment already
available => MS-DOS batch, or bash/sh scripting etc)

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Re: Basic (Was:Re: Why is Ada NOT ... )

[Alexandre E. Kopilovitch]

sk <sk@noname.com> writes:
> >> Basic is a very valuable learning tool to get a
> >> feel for what programming is.

But that was not the purpose stated in original posting. We were not asked
about a way "to get a feel for what programming is". I remember that the
original author stated that he wants learn programming constructions gradually
and thoroughly - that's all (in fact, he stated explicitly that he have no
intention to become professional programmer). We do not know whether he will
use that knowledge for any programming... for example, he may seek an additional
source of inspiration for another business... well, we read Shakespeare's
"Hamlet" not for preparing ourselves for medieval Danish court.

>I am not arguing that Basic is a good language (nor
>bad). My point is that for beginners, who have little
>concept of fundamental programming concepts (loops
>arrays etc), Basic provides a frame of reference so
>that these concepts have some solidity/meaning when
>one runs across them later.

There may be other frames of reference... pure mathematics, for example...
or even chemistry -:)


Alexander Kopilovitch                      aek@vib.usr.pu.ru
Saint-Petersburg
Russia