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From: goer@ellis.uchicago.edu (Richard L. Goerwitz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: best introductory PC language
Message-ID: <1991Apr20.031652.7153@midway.uchicago.edu>
Date: 20 Apr 91 03:16:52 GMT
Sender: news@midway.uchicago.edu (NewsMistress)
Organization: University of Chicago
Lines: 26

We run a Xenix box here at home, but have a PC as well, and a DOS
emulator.  I have a son who has started writing programs in GW-
BASIC, and after 500 lines or so has trouble keeping track of his
program.  Does anyone have a recommendation for a better beginning
programming language?

NB:  The child in question is 5, so I'd prefer not to teach him
C, and probably not Pascal either.  The only requirement I'd have
is that the language be very high level, and have a good command
of the screen (dumb UNIX tty I/O bores him; I don't want to sick
him on X yet).

Logo has been recommended to me.  I know nothing about pricing and
availability.  PC lisp dialects have also been mentioned to me.  I
think these would be good.  Lisp syntax is trivial, and my son could
master it in a few days.  The trouble with LISP is that I don't know
of PC dialects with good I/O.

Any information anyone (any fathers out there?) could give me would
be much appreciated by me.  Personal letters that bear fruit will
be rewarded by a thank-you from my son :-).

-- 

   -Richard L. Goerwitz              goer%sophist@uchicago.bitnet
   goer@sophist.uchicago.edu         rutgers!oddjob!gide!sophist!goer