Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] re:ha ha ha BASIC!

> Well, when I refer to 'basic' I'm thinking of some of the old, 8-bit
> micro basics from the late 70's. Some of them were pretty laughable,
> like no variables passed to subroutines, 26 variables (A-Z) all global,
> one cryptic command per numbered line, etc. GAG! Yes, I know
> there are basics now that are vastly ahead of what was available
> 20+ years ago on the limited computers of that era.

Interesting that the second version of B. Gates & Company's BASIC (8K tape)
for the Altair had none of these limitations. You did have the option of not
loading the Floating Point package when you loaded the tape.

Altair Disk Extended BASIC had all of the features of BASICA and GWBASIC of
the MS-DOS world. After moving to the Mod 3 and then to the MS-DOS world it
was "weird" to have a DOS separated from the BASIC.

Except for a few keywords programs could be moved from 8K & Disk Extended to
MOD 3 BASIC and then on to the MS-DOS GW-BASIC and then to Visual Basic for
DOS. My how much easier it got.

The first programming language you learn will always be you favorite / fall
back language

Hugh
Two Altairs and one IMSI still running with a Pentium 800 for a terminal.