Visual Basic Reviews

BASIC, which stands for Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code, represents a collection of high-level programming languages that prioritize user-friendliness. Initially, the focus of BASIC was on facilitating basic mathematical computations, with its first version as a batch language supporting matrix arithmetic, and enhancements for character string manipulation were introduced by 1965. The development of BASIC coincided with a broader shift toward time-sharing systems that enabled multiple users to access computing resources simultaneously. Certain versions of BASIC included capabilities for handling matrices and performing operations on them, enabling users to address sets of simultaneous linear equations effectively. These specialized dialects allowed for direct manipulation of matrix structures, including operations like assignment, addition, multiplication (among compatible matrix types), and the calculation of determinants. However, in the 1990s, BASIC's popularity waned as the advent of more robust microcomputers made it feasible to use programming languages with more sophisticated features, such as Pascal and C, leading to a decline in BASIC's usage among developers. As a result, many programmers began to seek alternatives that offered greater flexibility and power for their computational needs.