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Why Teach Programming With BASIC?

Posted by timothy on from the because-of-the-great-name dept.

chromatic writes "To answer the perennial question 'How can we teach kids how to program?', we created a web-based programming environment. As we began to write lessons and examples, we surprised ourselves. Modern languages may be powerful and useful for writing real programs, but BASIC and Logo are great languages for demonstrating the joy of programming."

2 of 709 comments (clear)

  1. Use C# by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    I've never loved programming as much as I do now that I use C#.

    1. Re:Use C# by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: -1, Troll

      The problem with C++ is that it has to run in a slow interpreter, which adds overhead and makes things slow.

      Java apps are compiled to native bytecode before they execute so they run super fast on the architecture. The problem with Java is that you have to use the command line to compile programs and add packages. Another disadvantage is that, if you compile the bytecode on one architecture, it won't run on another architecture. Another advantage, however, if the programmer is skilled and willing, adept, and has a huge penis; of Java is its multiple layers of abstraction. They allow the programmer to talk to the hardware* when apps have to run super-fast.

      * Not talking as in the way people and some animals talk to each other, but being able to manipulate individual ones and zeroes of the stack**

      ** The stack is computer lingo for the software suites you get like how Word comes with Office, and Office runs on Windows***, etc.

      *** The shittiest operating system ever****

      ****Ever ever.