programming in basic language

 

programming in basic language

BASIC is a high-level programming language designed for ease of use. It was created in 1963 by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz at Dartmouth College to allow students in non-scientific fields to use computers.

The Basic programming language is a simple and easy to understand programming language. To use it correctly, it is sufficient to know just a few basic elements.

BASIC (Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of simple programming languages designed for ease of use, especially for beginners. It was widely popular in the early days of computing due to its simplicity and accessibility.

Here's a basic overview of programming in BASIC, including a simple program:

Key Features of BASIC:

Line Numbers: Early versions of BASIC required line numbers for every instruction (e.g., 10, 20, 30).

Simple Syntax: BASIC uses easy-to-understand commands.

Interpreted: In many early versions, BASIC was interpreted, meaning it would execute instructions line by line rather than compiling the entire program first.

Interactive: BASIC often ran in an interactive mode where users could type a command, and it would execute immediately.

Basic Syntax and Commands:

PRINT: Displays text or numbers on the screen.

INPUT: Allows user input.

LET: Assigns values to variables (in some versions, you can omit the LET).

GOTO: Transfers control to another line number.

IF...THEN: Conditional logic.

FOR...NEXT: Looping structure.

Example: A Simple BASIC Program

10 PRINT "Enter a number: "

20 INPUT N

30 IF N > 0 THEN GOTO 50

40 PRINT "The number is negative or zero."

45 GOTO 60

50 PRINT "The number is positive."

60 END

Explanation:

• Line 10: Displays a message prompting the user for input.
• Line 20: Gets input from the user and stores it in the variable N.
• Line 30: Checks if the number is positive. If it is, it goes to line 50.
• Line 40: Prints a message if the number is zero or negative.
• Line 45: Skips the positive message and jumps to the end.
• Line 50: Prints a message if the number is positive.
• Line 60: Ends the program.

More Complex Example: A Multiplication Table

basic
10 PRINT "Enter a number for the multiplication table: "
20 INPUT N
30 FOR I = 1 TO 10
40 PRINT N; " x "; I; " = "; N*I
50 NEXT I
60 END

This program asks the user for a number and prints the multiplication table for that number.

Explanation:

• Line 10: Prompts the user for input.
• Line 20: Stores the user's input in the variable N.
• Line 30: A loop that runs from 1 to 10 (the range of the multiplication table).
• Line 40: Prints the multiplication result for each iteration.
• Line 50: Moves to the next iteration of the loop.
• Line 60: Ends the program.

Variants of BASIC:

• Microsoft BASIC: One of the most popular early versions, distributed with early personal computers.
• QBASIC: A more advanced version of BASIC with a modernized interface, often used in DOS systems.
• Visual Basic (VB): A more modern, object-oriented version of BASIC developed by Microsoft, used for Windows application development.

BASIC programming is a great way to learn fundamental programming concepts due to its simplicity and readability.

====

Yes, that's correct! **BASIC (Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code)** is a **high-level programming language** that was specifically designed to be easy to learn and use, especially for beginners. 

### Here's why BASIC is considered a high-level language and user-friendly:

1. **High-Level Language**: 

   - BASIC abstracts away many of the complex details of computer hardware, allowing programmers to focus on problem-solving rather than dealing with machine-level instructions (like assembly languages do). This makes it "high-level."

   - Commands in BASIC resemble everyday English, making it intuitive for new programmers.

2. **Ease of Use**:

   - **Simple Syntax**: BASIC uses straightforward commands like `PRINT`, `INPUT`, and `IF...THEN`, which are easy to understand even without a background in programming.

   - **Interactive Nature**: In early implementations, BASIC was often interactive, meaning users could type commands directly and see immediate results, which helps in learning by doing.

   - **Error Tolerance**: BASIC was designed to be forgiving, meaning minor mistakes wouldn't always crash the program. This encourages experimentation and learning.

3. **Designed for Beginners**:

   - The primary goal of BASIC was to make programming accessible to a wide audience, including non-computer science professionals, students, and hobbyists. Before BASIC, programming languages were generally more complex and required detailed knowledge of the underlying machine.

   - BASIC was particularly popular in educational settings because it allowed students to focus on programming logic rather than complicated syntax or hardware considerations.

### Historical Impact:

BASIC gained widespread popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, particularly with the advent of personal computers. Early machines like the **Apple II** and **Commodore 64** came with a version of BASIC pre-installed, allowing users to start programming immediately after turning on the computer.

BASIC paved the way for many people to enter the field of programming and remains influential in the design of many modern languages that prioritize ease of use and accessibility.

====