History of BASIC Programming

BASIC (Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a high-level

programming language that was developed in the mid-1960s at Dartmouth
College in the United States. It was designed to be an easy-to-learn language for
beginners, hence the name "BASIC." Here is a brief history of BASIC
programming:

 Development: BASIC was created by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz at

Dartmouth College in 1964. They aimed to develop a language that would
enable students and non-computer science professionals to write programs
easily. They wanted to make programming accessible to a wider audience.

 Early versions: The first version of BASIC, known as Dartmouth BASIC, was
implemented on a GE mainframe computer. It included simple syntax and
commands for performing basic mathematical and logical operations. It gained
popularity at Dartmouth and other educational institutions.

 Widespread adoption: As computers became more accessible in the late

1960s and early 1970s, BASIC was implemented on various computer systems
and became widely adopted. Different versions of BASIC were developed for
different computer platforms, leading to variations in the language syntax and
features.

 Microcomputers and home computers: BASIC played a significant role in

the early days of microcomputers and home computers. Microsoft, founded by
Bill Gates and Paul Allen, developed and licensed versions of BASIC for popular
home computer systems like the Altair 8800 and later for the Commodore 64,
Apple II, and IBM PC.

 Extended versions: Over time, BASIC evolved and gained more features,
including support for structured programming constructs, graphics, and user
interfaces. Versions like GW-BASIC, QuickBASIC, and Visual Basic added more
functionality and made it easier to develop software applications.
 Educational impact: BASIC had a profound impact on computer education. It
was often the first programming language introduced to beginners due to its
simplicity and ease of use. Many programming textbooks and courses used
BASIC as a teaching tool.

 Legacy and influence: BASIC influenced the development of other

programming languages. For example, the syntax of Visual Basic had
similarities to earlier versions of BASIC. Additionally, the concept of an
interpreted language with an interactive command prompt is present in
languages like Python.

While BASIC is not as widely used today in professional software development, its
legacy lives on through its influence on other languages and its role in making
programming accessible to beginners.