2018/2019

[Tomaaz]

Every single site I visit, every podcast I listen to is trying to name the most important things that happened in 2018. Microsoft buying GitHub, IBM buying Red Hat, Spectre and Meltdown, Linux apps running on Chromebooks, Microsoft becoming a premium sponsor to The Open Source Initiative, more and more distributions and programs dropping 32bit support etc. Has anything happened in BASIC world? Is 2019 going to be a year of BASIC on desktop or the year BASIC died? The answer is rather obvious, but, at least, we can have a chat here. 

[n00b]

I personally think it was a good year for BASIC. We had the  c64 gain alot of success, multiple winners in syntax bombs jams that were written in BBC BASIC, and many of us dialect developers released new versions of our languages in 2018. Its not realistic for BASIC to become mainstream in a industry that is quickly moving toward standardization but it is far from dead.

[Cybermonkey]

I personally think it was a good year for BASIC. We had the  c64 gain alot of success, multiple winners in syntax bombs jams that were written in BBC BASIC, and many of us dialect developers released new versions of our languages in 2018. Its not realistic for BASIC to become mainstream in a industry that is quickly moving toward standardization but it is far from dead.

[Tomaaz]

I personally think it was a good year for BASIC.

For me, it was terrible. I rejoined this forum only to find it being dead. Some of the other forums look more like blogs. We used to complain about the level of activity on BP.org, but comparing to today's forums that place was extremely busy. The only BASIC that looks alive to me is BaCon. Other compilers/interpreters are either not being developed or used any more (I don't care about commercial products). The development of (not so long ago) busy and advanced projects has stopped or slowed down dramatically (QB64, OpenEuphoria, FreeBASIC). Python has been widely accepted as the language for beginners - Raspberry Pi (which I find boring and overrated) is probably the main reason for it. Several attempts to bring BASIC to Raspberry Pi have failed. The same can be said about mobile devices. Sorry guys, but it looks bad.

We had the  c64 gain alot of success

 

[n00b]

Sorry about the C64 confusion. I was referring to the mini. It has been a pretty popular device and has been a gateway for a lot of younger tech enthusiasts to discover BASIC. As far as BASIC on the pi, I think a few dialects are on there already but they arent able to access the GPIO interfaces like python can. I know at least for freeBasic, they are still actively developing it. It has matured to a point where constant updates just are not necessary which is normal for any software. BASIC is not as widely used for the same reason Linux isn't. Every BASIC is different. But thats not necessarily a bad thing. It means more choices for the programmer.

[ZXDunny]

I personally think it was a good year for BASIC.

For me, it was terrible. I rejoined this forum only to find it being dead. Some of the other forums look more like blogs. We used to complain about the level of activity on BP.org, but comparing to today's forums that place was extremely busy. The only BASIC that looks alive to me is BaCon. Other compilers/interpreters are either not being developed or used any more (I don't care about commercial products). The development of (not so long ago) busy and advanced projects has stopped or slowed down dramatically (QB64, OpenEuphoria, FreeBASIC). Python has been widely accepted as the language for beginners - Raspberry Pi (which I find boring and overrated) is probably the main reason for it. Several attempts to bring BASIC to Raspberry Pi have failed. The same can be said about mobile devices. Sorry guys, but it looks bad.

I have to agree. If your goal is to bring BASIC into the mainstream once again, that is. I'm actually quite happy with how BASIC is going, at least on my end - I gained quite a substantial number of new users who play with it on and off, and made some friends along the way.

So yeah, I had a good 2018 but I can see how others might see it differently.

[Tomaaz]

BASIC is not as widely used for the same reason Linux isn't.

I wish BASIC was as "unpopular" as Linux. At the moment I follow five podcasts about Linux (and believe me - there are many more) and regularly visit several forums and sites dedicated to it. There are also Telegram groups, but I simply don't have time for them. You could discuss, try and discover new things related to Linux 24/7. I don't care if Linux ever becomes the most popular desktop system. As long as Linux community is as big and vibrant as now, I just wish I had more time for it.

 

[Tomaaz]

John on his blog:

I guess Tomaaz hasn't been visiting the All BASIC or Oxygen Basic forums lately. AIR is active on the All BASIC forum cleaning up the Script BASIC distributions for Linux, Mac and Pi. The Gitlab sandbox has worked out great supplementing forum activity.

Charles is in the process of converting his FreeBasic version of his BASIC compiler to self compiling.

In all, I think BASIC had a great year. Leaving the RetoB forum and the bitter folks I left behind has made my life happier.

Well, I visit All BASIC forum from time to time. If I wasn't how would I know it's basically John's blog? Also, how would I know that no one's using or developing (I'm not talking about creating extra modules or recompiling/repackaging the same source with minor tweaks) ScriptBasic? OxygenBasic - many years of development and still in alfa? One day it may be a great compiler, but I wouldn't call it an active development. And it's Windows only. Bad idea - even Microsoft has entered Linux world. Leaving this forum has made John happier, but he keeps checking what's going on here and replaying to it on his blog. Interesting...

[Aurel]

My question is :
who the fuccckkk is JOHN 

[Aurel]

BASIC is not as widely used for the same reason Linux isn't

similar ..not exactly the same
but who care ?

[Aurel]

..and is better to NOT know than KNOW...
python....what is that ?

[Aurel]

OxygenBasic - many years of development and still in alfa? One day it may be a great compiler, but I wouldn't call it an active development

crap..
I must agree with tomek this time and i am pissed of because of that . !"!"#$#$%%&&
On the other side i know that creating such a compiler is not trivial work .
In general Oxygen Basic is the only true native basic/asm/JIT compiler ever created.
I can only hope that new selfcompiled version would be much efficient and without quirks.   

[Tomaaz]

My question is :
who the fuccckkk is JOHN 

It's a blogger who post about BASIC (mostly ScriptBasic). He's unique, because he's using a forum engine as a blog platform.

BASIC is not as widely used for the same reason Linux isn't

similar ..not exactly the same
but who care ?

Probably not so many. I, for example, just wish BASIC was as "unpopular" as Linux.

python....what is that ?

A snake.

I must agree with tomek this time...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usfiAsWR4qU

[Aurel]

Aha
I see the JOHN is scriptBasic bloger who use forum for blog and bloging
on forum for basic ....hmmm hmmm...hmmmm

ahh john ...
of course i think that i know who is john ....
yeah i know ...
 

it is joke john ..so please don't take this as real

[Tomaaz]

ahh john ...
of course i think that i know who is john ....
yeah i know ...
 

Of course, you do. And I know that you know. And John knows that you and me know. He also knows that I know that you know and that I know that he knows.

it is joke john ..so please don't take this as real

I don't think you need to clarify this. John is a smart guy. He's just invested his time and effort in a wrong project.