| > Is a modern, object-oriented Basic really friendlier than Python or Lua? QuickBASIC had User Defined Types, FreeBASIC not only has Pointers (and therefore Function Pointers) but also adds methods to TYPES which are defined as Subroutines just like in C++. In Fact FreeBASIC can be thought of as a covert way to learn and understand C++ for QBasic programmers. As for it being an informal or hobbyist language, if one begins by designing the proper data structures and adds the adequate functions to handle them, the resulting programs can be just as capable as those designed in any other language. Being able to think like a programmer makes all the difference, not the reputation of the language being used. As for Blitz3D, it can access external DLLs. DLLs can be easily written and compiled with freeBASIC. No problem for any adventurous BASIC programmer. As for your BASIC dialect you can take a look at [1] to learn how to write your own in FreeBASIC or QB64. This code can be easily understood and ported to any language. [Edit] The standard library may not be as complete as Python's but FreeBASIC can work with most DLLs compiled with C and the documentation will mention ways to include C headers and work with various external libraries. [1] http://www.qb64.net/forum/index.php?topic=6388.0 |
Well, that is exactly my point. Basic has the reputation of being easy for beginners and hobbyists but properly written code in a recent OOP dialect of Basic doesn't look too different from code written in any object-oriented Algol-derived language. As such, it is probably about as easy/as hard to write. Which is what makes me suspect that Basic-the-language might not really be the secret sauce of environments like QB64 or Blitz3D. Other possible reasons they get the sort of following they do could be that
1. Those environments are easy to install and create your first project with.
2. They start you with an IDE, so compiling and running your first code is only a matter of pressing a single key or clicking a single button.
3. They ship a "fun-oriented" standard library. You don't have to install any addition packages or even import extra modules into your project to access subroutines for plotting, sprite graphics, sound, 3D, networking, etc.
4. They have high-quality, beginner-friendly documentation with plentiful examples.
5. They are fast, both the IDEs and the runtimes.
6. (A language-related one.) Somewhat surprisingly, they are more often that not statically typed and offer decent error messages. Perhaps compile-time errors are a better educational tool than runtime errors.
I am not sure how important it is to have all of the above points but 1-3 seem crucial.