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From: rupp@cod.NOSC.MIL (William L. Rupp)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Continuation of the Apple II line
Message-ID: <865@cod.NOSC.MIL>
Date: Tue, 20-Oct-87 12:33:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: cod.865
Posted: Tue Oct 20 12:33:22 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 21-Oct-87 22:13:55 EDT
References: <8VRXrly00XoDFAM08g@andrew.cmu.edu> <791@sdcc18.ucsd.EDU>
Reply-To: rupp@cod.nosc.mil.UUCP (William L. Rupp)
Organization: Computer Sciences Corp., San Diego
Lines: 33
Keywords: Applesoft, speed of execution not issue

It doesn't matter how fast a system excecutes an Applesoft program.  The
problem is not execution speed per se.  Applesoft's main shortcomings
are the following:

1. It is interpreted, not compiled.  An interpreted language is not in
itself bad, in fact it is nice to have an interpreter for applications
development.  But it is much better to have a compiled executable to use
on a daily basis rather than an interpreted source.

2. Applesoft is saddled with the traditional negatives of BASIC; single
scope, tendency to create confused code, lack of modern control
structures (e.g., switch/case or do/until), etc. 

3. Applesoft does not allow the programmer to create modules or
functions that can operate with local variables.  C, for instance, makes
it possible to create an endless library of functions which can work
equally well in any number of programs without a single bit of
modification.  In Applesoft you can create subroutines, but the
variables they use must always be the variables of a given program.  

4. Applesoft is linenumber oriented, and  does not permit free
formatting of program lines.

Applesoft was very useful 7-10 years ago, but its shortcomings are so
great that it cannot be used as a serious programming language when
compared to newer BASICs such as Z-BASIC or MICOL-BASIC.

Bill

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I speak for myself, and not on behalf of any other person or organization
.........................How's that, Gary?
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