AN INTRODUCTION TO MICROSOFT SMALL BASIC RUSTY KEELE UETN TECH SUMMIT 2019 INTRODUCTION TODAY’S PLAN • History lesson: BASIC language • What Small Basic is and isn’t • How to get Small Basic • A Demonstration • Resources for learning and teaching ABOUT ME • Work at UEN • Programming since 4th grade • BASIC (on Commodore 64) was my first programming language! A SHORT HISTORY OF BASIC BEGINNINGS AT DARTMOUTH • Early 1960s - 2 Math Professors • Wanted an easy language for non- science students • Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code MICRO COMPUTERS AND MICRO-SOFT • 1975 – Gates & Allen’s first product • Built in or included with most home computers of the 1970s and 1980s TYPE-IN PROGRAMS • From magazines and books • 101 BASIC Computer Games • School text book examples: “Try It In BASIC” BASIC BASHING • GOTO and GOSUB created spaghetti code • Dijkstra’s infamous quote • "It is practically impossible to teach good programming to students that have had a prior exposure to BASIC.” • The rise of structured programming: Pascal and C THE DECLINE OF BASIC • More powerful home computers • Graphical environments • Increase in commercial and free software “WHY JOHNNY CAN'T CODE” • No easy way for kids to get hooked on programming • Searched for an easy to use BASIC • …ended up buying a Commodore 64! • Issued a challenge to Microsoft VIJAYE RAJI • Microsoft employee • Read Brin’s article • Created a new version of BASIC – Small Basic WHAT IS MICROSOFT SMALL BASIC? GOALS OF MICROSOFT SMALL BASIC • For beginners • A real (but simple) language • Fun CONSISTS OF THREE DISTINCT PIECES • The language • The programming environment • Libraries SMALL BASIC != SMALLBASIC • SmallBASIC • An open source BASIC • Available on SourceForge SMALL BASIC != QBASIC • QBasic = Microsoft’s Quick BASIC • For DOS operating system • Wasn’t object oriented • Had GOSUB! SMALL BASIC != VISUAL BASIC .NET • Microsoft’s Visual Basic .NET • Small Basic is a subset of VB • Small Basic is much simpler • Users can “graduate” and export code to Visual Basic .NET HOW TO GET/USE MICROSOFT SMALL BASIC DOWNLOAD SMALL BASIC FOR WINDOWS • Version 1.2 • Supports Windows 10 - Vista • Requires .NET Framework 4.5 • Version 1.0 • Supports Windows XP and older • Requires .NET 3.5 SP1 SMALL BASIC ONLINE VERSION • https://smallbasic- publicwebsite.azurewebsites.net/Pro gram/Editor.aspx • Currently using version 0.91 • Reference Documents mismatch DEMONSTRATION RESOURCES FOR LEARNING AND TEACHING THE OFFICIAL TUTORIAL • 11 chapters (70 pages) • Good intro, with sample code • Quick Links > Tutorial PROGRAMMING (E)BOOKS • 5 professional books • free sample chapters online • Quick Links > eBooks WIKI: SMALL BASIC PORTAL • Overview, Getting Started, How To’s, Advanced Tips • Lots more! • Quick Links > Wiki THE FREE CURRICULUM • 6 complete lessons (23 sessions) • View online or download nice PowerPoint slides • Quick Links > Wiki > Small Basic Curriculum SMALL BASIC BLOG • News, contests, code examples • Updated a couple times per month • https://techcommunity.microsoft.com /t5/Small-Basic-Blog/bg- p/SmallBasic YOUTUBE VIDEOS • Literally hundreds of videos • About all aspects of Small Basic • Of varying lengths (1 - 10+ mins) THE END REFERENCES • Dartmouth image: https://www.dartmouth.edu/basicfifty/basic.html • Wikipedia BASIC article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC • Time article on BASIC: http://time.com/69316/basic/ • BASIC screen shot: https://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/atari-basic-graphics-0-screen-dli-not-activated-20130202.jpg?w=680&h=485 • book of games: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bDBA6lSo_rg/T8fz47kZUuI/AAAAAAAAAc8/XUXnWdyrB3k/s1600/101-basic-computer-games.jpg • Dijkstra picture: https://femgineer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/programming.jpeg • Decline graph: https://www.cannamm.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/bigstock-D-Business-Decline-Graph-3683075.jpg • Why Johnny can't code: https://www.salon.com/2006/09/14/basic_2/ • David Brin photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/57037724@N03/5261411769/in/album-72157632003421870/ • Vijaye Raji's first blogpost about Small Basic: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Small-Basic-Blog/Hello-World/ba-p/335289 • What is Small Basic?: http://www.smallbasic.com/faq.aspx • Vijaye's picture: https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2017/12/05/facebook-job-interview-process-seattle-hiring.html • SmallBASIC image: http://smallbasic.github.io/images/screenshots/smallbasic_tetris.png • QBasic image: https://arfanart.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/input-pemograman3.jpg • Visual Basic image: http://learninghints.com/images/IDE.JPG • Small Basic splash: https://www.assignmenthelp.net/images/game/small-basic.png • That's All Folks image: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/G_yahranAnQ/maxresdefault.jpg QUESTIONS & COMMENTS? • Download slide deck at: • http://c64sets.com/slides/ • Conference site?.