[Info-vax] Better languages than BASIC

[John Reagan]

On 1/12/2024 6:15 AM, Marc Van Dyck wrote:
> Simon Clubley formulated on Thursday :
>> On 2024-01-11, Dave Froble <davef at tsoft-inc.com> wrote:
>>> On 1/10/2024 9:28 PM, bill wrote:
>>>> On 1/10/2024 7:02 PM, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>>>>> The world has evolved.
>>>>
>>>> Exactly.  BASIC also evolved, but better languages have passed it by.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I confess to curiosity.  In what ways has other languages passed by 
>>> Basic?
>>>
>>
>> There are multiple languages that have left BASIC in the dust.
>>
>> If you want an initial teaching language, Python is _absolutely_ the
>> language you start people off with these days. BASIC is absolutely
>> dead here, and for very good reason.
>>
>> If you want to write business applications, then either Java or a
>> subset of C++. C++ subset to be chosen based on programmer skillsets
>> and the problem to be solved.
>>
>> If you want to write modern-day CUSPs, then either C or C++.
>>
>> If you want a safety-critical language (for completion only, as BASIC
>> was never suitable here), then something like Ada.
>>
>> There are other areas that BASIC was never suitable for, such as
>> number crunching. Depending on your requirements, knowledge, mindset,
>> etc, then either stay with Fortran, or drive an analysis package from
>> something like Python. There are also higher-level languages such as
>> MATLAB or Octave that can be used here as well.
>>
>> BTW, Octave is available here if you want to look:
>>
>> https://octave.org/
>>
>> Simon.
> 
> Amazing that in current programming languages discussions, PASCAL is
> never mentioned anymore. I understand that it has lost a lot of momentum
> and never was a big success outside of the academic field, which used to
> be a DEC stronghold way in the past. But in this case, why is VSI (and
> before that HPE) still supporting that language today ? It cannot be
> customer base, can it ? It is certainly not seen as a language of the
> future either... So why ? Just because John likes it, or what ?
> 
> I'm still doing all my programming in Pascal... Now that I'm retired, no
> one else at my former work uses it anymore. They keep a one user license
> to maintain my code, if it is ever needed. But I'm afraid this compiler
> will feel very lonely...
> 

I wrote a lengthy reply to this to answer your (and others) questions. 
I don't see it online however.  If it doesn't show up at some point,
I'll dig it out of some sent folder and resend.

John