From:	root AT 127 DOT 0 DOT 0 DOT 1 (Crewden)
Newsgroups:	comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject:	Re: games programming
Date:	Wed, 05 May 1999 17:46:16 GMT
Organization:	_
Lines:	57
Message-ID:	<37307f1e.322573486@server>
References:	<f1PX2.159$3M4 DOT 60143 AT news DOT sgi DOT net> <Pine DOT GSO DOT 3 DOT 96 DOT 990505091245 DOT 7492A-100000 AT eduserv2 DOT rug DOT ac DOT be>
NNTP-Posting-Host:	gw-avocet.mint.net
Mime-Version:	1.0
X-Newsreader:	Forte Agent 1.5/32.452
To:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com
DJ-Gateway:	from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Reply-To:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com

Ordinarily I would strongly disagree with using basic to teach anyone
programming.  I started on basic, and didn't have to many troubles
switching to a "real" programming language.  But many of the people I
knew had a problem with it.  

The difference here is I wasn't quite as young as 8 when I started.
BASIC is quick to learn and provides more immediate results.  So he
won't become bored as fast.

If the kid gets serious at all about programming.  Really digs into
BASIC, switch him over to a more structured language like Pascal.  The
switch takes some adjusting, but a determined learner wont be phased
by this too much.  The BASIC, at least the kind I remember (Applesoft
basic) has little if any structure.  There are no functions
(subroutines yes;functions no) all variables are global, no
switch/case statements.  The structure of the BASIC I learned on is
actually worse (believe it or not) that that of Assembly.

Some of the newer BASIC programming languages like VB are structured
and most often don't even have line numbers.  That is to say, a lot of
the new BASIC languages are more like Pascal.  


In short, if it's the kind of BASIC without functions and has line
numbers, don't him use it for too long before moving on to one of the
better highlevel languages such as Pascal/C/Java (recommended in that
order) or and any other language that is not BASIC, Assembly, or god
help you COBOL.


On Wed, 5 May 1999 09:14:49 +0200, Bjorn De Meyer
<bgdmeyer AT eduserv2 DOT rug DOT ac DOT be> wrote:

+It seemss to me that for such a young kid, BASIC easiest solution, 
+at least to make simple games. There is a DJGPP specific BASIC
interpreter
+that uses the ALLEGRO functions as a backend, but I forgot the
name...
+Check it out on SET's page.
+
+Bjorn De Meyer.
+Homepage: http://studwww.rug.ac.be/~bgdmeyer
+E-mail: bjorn DOT demeyer AT rug DOT ac DOT be 
+Licentiate Chemistry. 
+Coordinator of the "Tales of Artah: First Sword" CRPG project.

+  
+ "I've shaven. I'm happy. I have no religion. Don't pray for me." 
+                                                Illusion of Gaia 2
+         
+                                   
+
+        
+              
+                                   
+            

- Raw text -