Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!mailrus!sharkey!bnlux0!creutz
From: creutz@bnlux0.bnl.gov (michael creutz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: AmigaBasic
Message-ID: <1930@bnlux0.bnl.gov>
Date: 12 Jun 90 14:40:26 GMT
Organization: Brookhaven National Lab
Lines: 33

for AmigaBasic.  A local bulletin board bans amigabasic postings,
and basic submissions to sources have a high probability of
finding a black hole.  Commodore is apparently considering
discontinuing its inclusion with the computer. 
 
Amigabasic does have serious shortcomings.  It often crashes
the machine and has a half-featured editor (which becomes
useless if used at other than default priority).  It does
not appear to run at all on the 3000.  These problems could 
be fixed, but probably never will because of the community
attitude.
 
On the other hand, it does make trying simple ideas simple.
Quick changes in a program are trivial, and setting up fancy
graphics screens etc. only takes a few lines.  All system 
functions are available through libraries, and it is easy
to put an assembly routine in an array.  

Speed is not really  an issue here.  Any interpreted language
is inherently slow (AREXX and AmigaBasic are comparable in
speed).  If speed is necessary one should develop the idea 
in a simple language like basic and then rewrite it in 
assembly (which is not too hard on the Amiga because of
all the nice libraries).

I feel it is important for a computer to have an easy to
use language for both beginners and simple playing around.
It should be included with the computer so all users will
have one common ground.  I hope that AmigaVision is 
successful in filling this need.

Are there other closet basic programmers out there?
Mike