[Gambas-user] A little article on Gambas on Phoronix

[ISS Boss]

   Very well put, Randall.  I also learned my programming skills back in 1962
   when I entered the programming shop of the US Navy.  I spent 20 years there
   using some pretty esoteric languages but BASIC was still used in my home
   right  at  first.  It was BASIC that Heathkit provided for their first
   computer kits (H8 and H89) which I built several of.  In the navy, I was
   exposed to NELIAC, which was a language used solely in the Naval Security
   Group of which I was a member.
   In my case, FORTRAN replaced NELIAC when they went to VAX machines for the
   replacement computers in the HFDF network.  I also went to many classes for
   other languages: ADA, FORTH, and, yes, C.  Over the years following my
   retirement in 1980 I ended up using C again on a platform of iRMX (an Intel
   operating system which I love) along with PLM.
   When the very first version of VB came out, I bought it and immediately
   began writing programs for sale.  I did quite well with it and kept up with
   the newer version as they climbed from 1.0 through 6.0SP2.  Now, I use
   VB.NET also when I'm not running my UBUNTU machine.  On that, I finally fell
   into the Gambas network and am having a ball honing my BASIC skills yet
   again.
   As for mission critical applications, I doubt that I'd use Gambas, but for
   friends of mine that have moved to LINUX, I provide them with free apps that
   they help debug for me.  It's a win/win situation.
   And now, back into my cave.
   Bill
   Randall Morgan wrote, On 11/26/2013 14:10:

Ok, I'll give my two cents worth...

BASIC has gotten a bad wrap and it is now vogue to knock BASIC. The
statement someone made in the article comments, something to the fact that
"Anyone who has been exposed to BASIC cannot be a good programmer" is crap.
BASIC was the first language for many GREAT programmers. In fact, anyone
over 45 probably has some BASIC experience. BASIC was a great go-to (no pun
intended) language for quick jobs that didn't require direct memory access
for many years.

BASIC was replaced by Pascal and C eventually took over Pascal in
production areas. At first C was considered to difficult to teach new
programmers. But as time marched forward C gained features and (mostly)
instructors began to find ways to convey C's constructs in an way that was
understandable to new programmers. Then Java came along and replaced C as a
learning language.

The fact is, many people STILL see BASIC as the old BASIC-A or Dartmouth
BASIC or they simply repeat what someone they respect says about the
language. The truth is, until they take the time to actually write several
apps in the newer variants of BASIC, they have no grounds for their
comments.

My belief is that there is a place for just about any programming language.
I hate FORTRAN but for scientific apps it still holds it own. As archaic as
ADA can be, if I am writing code for the something life depends upon, I'd
still use it. If I want to knock out an app quickly that does not require a
lot of complicated coding then BASIC is as good as it has always been and
then some!

A smart developer puts many tools in his belt. He learns like a craftsman
that there is a place for each tool in his toolbox. So he'll use some all
the time because they fit his needs and his style, other's he'll rarely use
because they make his job more complex most of the time, or don't fit the
type of jobs he usually does.  But when needed, they provide capabilities
that the other tools don't.

I remember a time when PHP and Python were both considered by many to be
"toy" scripting languages and "real" developers didn't use scripting
languages. A real programmer only used compiled languages. PHP now has a
large hold on the the WEB and Python has grown into it's own and is
becoming a great general purpose language.

If Gambas did not solve some problem(s) for a class of developer, it
wouldn't exist. Just as Fortran, Prolog, Pascal, and ADA would die if they
didn't solve some issue for the people who use them. Just because one
person or a few people can't see the benefits may only mean they don't work
in an environment that would benefit from that particular language.

I can count on one hand the number of professional apps I've written with
VB. But that doesn't make VB a bad language (it does have it's
particularities. But, then doesn't every language?). I've written more apps
in Gambas but only because it fits my needs now. I wrote many apps in
GWBASIC, BASIC-A, Forth, Fortran, Prolog, COBOL, and even many in
Assembler. Just as I return to BASIC when that tool fits my task well, I
would return to Assembler (and do) when speed or size is an issue.

Those who declare BASIC a toy language have failed to grow up with the
language. They should also declare C a dead language and declare Java or
C++ it's successor. But the truth is, C is still preferred over C++ in many
instances. So let the naysayers have their moment to demonstrate their lack
of breath of experience and those of us who know a good thing when we see
it will continue to be productive with what ever tool best fits our task
and style. And, remember, these naysayers are the same guys declaring their
language is the only "real" tool for all problems. They'd use a sledge
hammer to drive a thumbtack in the wall.

Just my two cents ;-)