BASIC

A computer language designed by John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz in 1964 and popularized by Microsoft in the 1970s. BASIC is good for programming simple calculations quickly, and you do not have to learn much of the language in order to begin using it. Because no declarations are required, programs can be quite short. Figure 28 shows a simple BASIC program and the results of running it. In the 1970s and 1980s, numerous software vendors, especially Microsoft, added features to BASIC to support STRUCTURED PROGRAMMING and a wide variety of DATA STRUCTURES. Today, BASIC is one of the most complex programming languages in wide use, incorporating features from Pascal, FORTRAN, and C. Line numbers are no longer necessary. However, BASIC is still easy for beginners to use, and the newest BASIC compilers still accept programs written in Kemeny and Kurtz’s original language. Usage note: Since it is an acronym, BASIC is usually written in all capital letters. Newer Microsoft publications, however, write Basic by analogy to Pascal. We spell it that way when referring to newer Microsoft products.

Sources:

⠀ Dictionary of computer and Internet terms / Douglas A. Downing, Michael A. Covington, Melody Mauldin Covington. — 10th ed. – 561 c. – 52