Tag: language design
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On the dangers of an unfocused mind
In the last post I noted that I have an interpreter for SoapyBASIC, but wanted to rework it as a compiler. The work to-date has been very much side-hustle, personal interest, hasn’t had a lot of serious time devoted to it, and in doing so, spans about FOUR years! In that time I’ve explored different…
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Stretching the definition of BASIC even further
In the last post I pondered if it’s still BASIC without GOTO. I think it is, but then how far can you go with a language before it loses its identity? Or worse, before it starts to look like Visual Basic? 😱 I’ve abandoned variable (and function) suffixes having semantic meaning. It’s just name and…
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Is it still BASIC without GOTO?
Since I started, I wobbled a number of times between a semantically messy 1980s style interpreted BASIC with line numbers and liberal use of GOTO/GOSUB and a slightly more modern version, block structuring, strict semantics, strong typing, but extensive type inference. To me, BASIC will forever be: So, line numbers, no extraneous space and GOTO…
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SoapyBASIC and long-term passion projects
An old techie’s desire to build the fantasy home computer from the 1980s