[Info-vax] The Future of Programming Languages and Web browsers

[Richard B. Gilbert]

Bob Eager wrote:
> On Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:45:23 -0800, Neil Rieck wrote:
> 
>> I, too, am not a big fan of BASIC but DEC-BASIC (or whatever they call
>> it today) contains features way beyond what a beginner would ever use.
>> First off, there is no interpreter on any platform higher than VAX.
>> Built-in support for RMS (sequential, relative and index) was an
>> unexpected surprise. There is no requirement for line numbers and an
>> option statement will require you declare all your variables (aka no kid
>> stuff). MAT (matrix) statements are borrowed from FORTRAN
> 
> MAT statements were in the Kemeny and Kurtz BASIC back in 1970....!
> 

Not to mention that standard Fortran did not have, or use, "MAT/MATRIX 
statements".  It was DIMENSION all the way back to Fortran II.
When I first encountered BASIC some years later, it was DIM IIRC; e.g. 
you wrote DIM X(125).