BASIC facts for kids

BASIC is one of the first programming languages ever to be created. It was first used as a programming language on console computers. The name is an acronym (a word made from other words) that spells Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code.

A specialized version of BASIC is Blitz BASIC. It is specially for coding games.

History

It was designed by John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz in 1963. It was based in part on Fortran and made to follow these eight principles:

1. Be easy for beginners to use
2. Be a general-purpose programming language
3. Allow extra features to be added for experienced programmers.
4. Be interactive
5. Provide clear and friendly error messages
6. Fast results for small programs
7. Does not require knowledge about computer hardware
8. Stop the user from editing the operating system

The creators made the compiler free of charge to make programmers interested in using the language. Since the creation, many other compilers and interpreters have been made so users can make their programs.

Code example

for x=9/3*9+9
print x
next x

Code prints number 36 to screen.

Images for kids

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  The HP 2000 system was designed to run time-shared BASIC as its primary task.

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  Commodore BASIC v2.0 on the Commodore 64

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  MSX BASIC version 3.0

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  "Train Basic every day!"—reads a poster (bottom center) in a Russian school (c. 1985–1986)

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  IBM Cassette BASIC 1.10

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  Three modern Basic variants: Mono Basic, OpenOffice.org Basic and Gambas

• 

  BASIC came to some video game systems, such as the Nintendo Famicom.

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  A simple game implemented in BASIC

See also

In Spanish: BASIC para niños