[Info-vax] Programming languages on VMS

[Bill Gunshannon]

On 01/24/2018 02:34 PM, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
> On 1/24/2018 12:26 PM, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
>> On 01/24/2018 11:47 AM, DaveFroble wrote:
>>> While not very good at performance, compiler wasn't written for 
>>> performance, Basic can do most of that stuff very well, and much more.
>>>
>>> Much the same comparison can be made with your "bus off a cliff" 
>>> comment, when looking at "the professionals" here and their attitude 
>>> toward Basic, right?
>>
>> Given what it was designed for BASIC was never taken seriously.  Even
>> after ANSIfication it was still not overly practical as most versions
>> were interpreted and not compiled.
> 
> Hmmm.
> 
> Basic went compiled even on PC's around 1990.
> 
> GW-Basic and QBasic were interpreted.
> 
> But QuickBasic 1985 could optionally compile.
> 
> TurboBasic 1989 compiled.
> 
> VB 1991 compiled.
> 
> Long time ago.
> 

Are you even aware of how many different versions of BASIC there
still are around today?  Many micro-controllers still run on
basic.  Other (non-COTS) systems still ship running BASIC.  And,
the most important part of the question was: Is it part of the
ANSI Standard?  Without standardization you jump into a whole
different can of worms.  What is the likelihood a DEC BASIC program
would compile and run on VB?  Or Turbo (although I think that one
is dead at this point.)

bill