Why languages like BASIC are important today

I think it is important that most programming can be done with simple tools. BASIC fits well with the idea that it should be as simple as possible, but no simpler. The average person cannot commit to learning programming languages that need several thick books to explain them. Before you can get anywhere, you need a language that's comfortable to start with. How else can QBasic's tremendous staying power be explained? The last version of QBasic rolled out of Microsoft 13 years ago, and a quick Google search for QBasic reveals nearly a half a million hits!

I also believe that there is a lot of arrogance in the established programming culture. Many software professionals (some of whom aren't especially good at what they do) look with disdain on the users of "hobby languages". Not everyone who writes software does so as their sole profession. Some people need to write small programs for their own use, and so they can be the sole judge as to whether the software is good enough. Other people will only program for fun, and they should not need to answer to anyone.

Once when I gave a demo of Liberty BASIC to a fellow programmer, his response was, "Who would want to use that?" To him it seemed like a toy. He doesn't understand that not everyone needs or wants all the power and complexity of C++.

Programming and Love of Learning

One of the things I really love about programming is that I love learning new things, and programming is a great medium for working in ideas. Once programming becomes simply work, the spark is gone and it's better to go find something else to do.

Almost 20 years ago I taught myself C, which I really liked a lot at first. That programming language has some ideas that were pretty interesting to me coming from BASIC, but it became clear to me after a while that C programming is more about twiddling the drudgery bits and details than it is about expressing ideas. Don't get me wrong, C is great for certain things. If I were an operating systems builder I probably wouldn't use anything else.

I don't program in C anymore, but I wouldn't discourage BASIC programmers from learning C or any other language. I learned a lot of ideas from my experiences with C, Forth, Smalltalk and Java. There's no substitute for trying a new language. Even if you still only use BASIC it will change your programming style when you are exposed to new ideas, and you will also have more fun.

Learning. I heartily recommend it. :-)

Programming - Is the word worn out?

You know, I'm wondering if there doesn't need to be a new word for programming. I mean, it's a fine word and all, but it already has too much baggage and history.

How can we get young people interested in programming? We need a new word. One of those cool (kewl?), hip new words. Something that implies a sense of fun and excitement. When the web was born, the word surf was adopted.

Obviously we cannot just come up with a fresh new word and apply it to the technically mundane programming languages like Java, C++ (or Fortran). The word has to apply to a new and fresh kind of programming.