BASIC (Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code)

Definition

BASIC (Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. Originally developed in 1964 at Dartmouth College by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz, BASIC was intended to enable students in non-scientific fields to have access to computer programming. Its simplicity and versatility eventually led BASIC to become one of the most prevalent programming languages in the era of early personal computers.

Examples

Hello, World! Program:
```
1PRINT "Hello, World!"
```

Simple Addition Program:

1INPUT "Enter the first number: ", A
2INPUT "Enter the second number: ", B
3C = A + B
4PRINT "The sum is: ", C

Loop Example:
```
1FOR I = 1 TO 10
2    PRINT I
3NEXT I
```

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the primary purpose of BASIC?
A: BASIC was designed to allow students from non-scientific and non-mathematical backgrounds to learn programming easily.

Q: What made BASIC popular during the early PC era?
A: Its simple syntax, ease of learning, and the capability to provide immediate visual feedback made it very approachable for beginners.

Q: Can BASIC still be used today?
A: Yes, although it isn’t as common as it once was, variations of BASIC (like Visual Basic) continue to be in use for educational and certain professional applications.

Q: What are the limitations of BASIC?
A: BASIC’s early versions lacked advanced data structures and the capability to support modern software engineering principles, which limited its usability for complex applications.

Q: What are some derivatives of BASIC?
A: Some well-known derivatives include Visual Basic, QBASIC, and freeBASIC.

FORTRAN: A high-level programming language used in scientific computing and engineering applications.
COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language): A high-level programming language designed for business, finance, and administrative systems.
Assembly Language: A low-level programming language that has a strong correspondence between its instructions and the machine code instructions of a computer.

Online References

Suggested Books for Further Studies

“BASIC Programming for Beginners: An Introduction to Programming Using Berkeley Softworks CBM BASIC” by Stephen R. Covey
“Learning to Program in BASIC” by Peter Grogono
“Visual Basic 2019 in 30 Days” by Tamás Harangi
“Programming in BASIC” by William R. Pasewark
“The Beginner’s Guide: How to Program in Basic with example” by Tommy Barfeild

Fundamentals of BASIC: Computer Science Quiz

### What was the primary aim for the creation of the BASIC programming language? - [x] To enable non-scientific students to learn programming - [ ] To replace assembly language as the predominant language - [ ] To enhance military software development - [ ] To improve gaming programming techniques > **Explanation:** The original design of BASIC aimed at providing an accessible way for students from non-scientific and non-mathematical fields to learn computer programming. ### Which institution developed BASIC? - [x] Dartmouth College - [ ] Harvard University - [ ] Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - [ ] Stanford University > **Explanation:** John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz developed BASIC at Dartmouth College in 1964. ### What is the output of the following BASIC code: `PRINT "Hello, World!"`? - [ ] Error - [x] Hello, World! - [ ] World, Hello! - [ ] Syntax Error > **Explanation:** The `PRINT` statement in BASIC is used to display the provided string on the screen, resulting in "Hello, World!". ### Why did BASIC become popular in early PCs? - [ ] Complex syntax rules - [ ] Dependency on external modules - [x] Simplicity and ease of use - [ ] Proprietary restrictions > **Explanation:** BASIC's simple syntax and ease of use, allowing immediate results, contributed significantly to its popularity in early personal computers. ### Which version of BASIC is still used widely today in a visual development environment? - [ ] QuickBASIC - [x] Visual Basic - [ ] GW-BASIC - [ ] True BASIC > **Explanation:** Visual Basic, a derivative of BASIC designed for the development of Windows applications, is still widely used in various programming environments. ### When was BASIC originally developed? - [ ] 1974 - [ ] 1984 - [x] 1964 - [ ] 1954 > **Explanation:** BASIC was originally developed in 1964 at Dartmouth College. ### What type of users were expected to benefit the most from BASIC? - [ ] Military programers - [ ] Expert computer scientists - [x] Non-scientific and non-mathematical students - [ ] Game developers > **Explanation:** BASIC was designed to be simple and approachable for non-scientific and non-mathematical students, making programming accessible to a broader audience. ### What does the following code do: `FOR I = 1 TO 5 PRINT I NEXT I`? - [ ] Prints "Hello, World!" five times - [ ] Prints an error message - [x] Prints the numbers 1 to 5 - [ ] Doesn't execute due to syntax error > **Explanation:** The code uses a `FOR` loop to print the numbers 1 to 5 incrementally. ### What significant feature did early versions of BASIC lack? - [ ] Capabilities for string manipulation - [ ] Looping constructs - [ ] Logical operators - [x] Advanced data structures > **Explanation:** Early versions of BASIC lacked advanced data structures, which limited its use for more complex programming tasks. ### In which year did Dartmouth College celebrate the 50th anniversary of BASIC? - [ ] 2010 - [ ] 2014 - [x] 2015 - [ ] 2013 > **Explanation:** Dartmouth College celebrated the 50th anniversary of BASIC in 2014, marking half a century since its inception.

Thank you for exploring BASIC and its foundational role in the history of computer programming. Continue your learning journey in programming languages and their applications!