On Thu, 2008-04-03 at 06:59 +1030, Tim wrote: > On Wed, 2008-04-02 at 09:31 -0500, Mikkel L. Ellertson wrote: > > Microsoft's entry into the personal computer market was by supplying > > a version of BASIC that for several operating systems. > > And wasn't it awful... I know BASIC's sneered upon, as there are plenty > of better things, but BASIC was a simple starting position for a lot of > people. It was also the only system available for a lot of home > personal computing, for a long time. Though, it typically was a very > feature limited interpreter. We had it on a Data General mainframe, > amongst other languages, and that went in the opposite direction - very > featured, and gave you very verbose and lengthy error reports about your > syntax errors. > > Many years ago I can remember tinkering around with Microsoft's BASIC on > the Amiga, since it was the only programming language I had to play with > on it, at the time. And actually managing to make a small relational > database with it, even though it hardly has the features that you need > for something like that. It wasn't anything really complex though, just > interrelated databases of services, clients, quotes, and the ability to > turn a quote into an invoice. cp/m had all kinda sort and list commands. I'm just not sure which would have been better, to be under the evil domination of Digital or Microsoft. <grins> cp/m ][ was pretty nice, though. It did pretty much whatever I wanted it to do. Ric -- ================================================ My father, Victor Moore (Vic) used to say: "There are two Great Sins in the world... ..the Sin of Ignorance, and the Sin of Stupidity. Only the former may be overcome." R.I.P. Dad. Linux user# 44256 Sign up at: http://counter.li.org/ http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/oar http://www.wayward4now.net <---down4now too ================================================
