Having taught programming languages for over 30 years, I figure to weigh in with my own 2 cents. First off, if you don't know a programming language now, forget about the compilers, IDEs, etc. You don't want to learn an IDE you want to know how to program. The skills that you learn will transfer to most other languages. Basic is available in many flavors, pick one, so it's interpreted, why should you care. Believe it or not you won't develope the newest MS office suite with it or with any language you start out with. What you can learn though even with an interpreted language is logic, methodology, and a background that will carry over to more advanced languages, where you will have the chance of doing something worthwhile. Tie yourself to an IDE now and you won't learn programming ever. You also won't develope anything more than what you can do by pushing buttons. An IDE is good only after you learn how to program. Get basic, play with it a while, then try C or some other higher language. Lots of languages out there and most work great for specific things. Not eveything is done in C. After you have some basic skills, decide what it is that you want to do. You might realize then that the language you want is much easier to decide upon. Ron Alex Snow wrote: > > I would use, and want to learn, basic, if there was a free Compiler and/or > IDE for basic under winblows. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Gregory Nowak" <gnowak1 at uic.edu> > To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca> > Sent: Sunday, March 10, 2002 2:56 PM > Subject: Re: free programming language > > > How about BASIC? > > Greg -- === Ron Marriage Home Page http://www.seidata.com/~marriage/ Blind Links http://www.seidata.com/~marriage/rblind.html Linux http://www.seidata.com/~seilug/ Email mailto:marriage at seidata.com Win door prizes! Meet old and new friends! See the latest technology and gadgets for your everyday living! Learn how the NFB is helping to knock down barriers to make your life better! All this and more at the 2002 NFB National Convention July 3 - 9 -- for details go to: http://www.nfbk.org
