Basic: A Popular Language

For a large part of this book the language called BASIC (Beginner’s Allpurpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is going to be used to introduce the most important aspects of programming. This is not a book about programming in BASIC, but it is a book about programming and some of the techniques required to write good computer programs. To find out the details of writing programs in BASIC, or any other of the languages available, the reader should consult either the programming manuals issued by the computer companies or books devoted to the specific language which is chosen to be studied in depth. There are a number of versions of BASIC available today and the one used for the examples in this book is the one known as GWBASIC, the GW standing for Gee Whizz! This language is often supplied free when you purchase the MS-DOS™ operating system.