Date : Sun, 02 Apr 2006 14:12:57 +0100
From : "Colin" <cwhill@...>
Subject: Re: Basic & BBC Basic
"Mark Usher" <mu.list@...> wrote:
To: "'BBC-Micro Mailing List'" <bbc-micro@...>
Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2006 2:02 PM
Subject: RE: [BBC-Micro] Basic & BBC Basic
> At college, instead of using BBC BASIC we were taught COMAL, a variant on
> BBC BASIC with a lot more structure.
>
> Personally, I wouldn't go down the BBC BASIC route to teach new people.
Find
> them things that will spark there imagination and give them graphical
> results quickly.
> Plenty of basic programming techniques can be taught with HTML, VBA within
> Word / Excel and Access. Python and PERL also spring to mind. Otherwise VB
> and C# are highly recommended. This is what the IT industry is looking
for.
> If an employer sees BBC BASIC on a CV it won't cut any ice, if he sees
HTML,
> VBA then he will be aware immediately that the person has a knowledge of
MS
> Office and the internet. Exactly the sort of things they are looking for.
>
>
> -Mark
>
For my two pennyworth (or two cents worth if anyone is in the USA), I found
that BBC BASIC did two important things for me.
The first was an unrealised back door into algebra (which I could never do
at school). The very nature of the beast made you learn algebra (albeit in a
simple form) without actually realising it.
The second thing was learning to think in a logical manner to write the
programs. (No "undo" option on the Beeb).
Although I never understood the sections on assembly language etc, I could
write fairly simple programs like a version of hangman (which I can still
play and still think it is fun) or simple scrolling shooting games (all far
too simple and childish for them to be of interest) but I could do it.
That was the beauty of the BBC in schools (although they got them well after
I left).
All they have now is computerised methods of doing things rather than
actually creating the method.
My nephew has just graduated from university in computers and id getting a
lot of interest in his work but it's all done using other people's Windows
stuff.
I daresay that there are some courses that do teach actual programming but
BBC BASIC was SUCH a good way in.
>From an historical point of view, it should, at least, be included.
Colin Hill