Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: True Basic

Hi John:
I have taught programming to Chemistry majors for some years using True
Basic. The course is part of the PChem sequence and is callled
Computational Methods. My experience with True Basic is that it is a
easily learned language that supports a full array of features that
encourage structured code. In addition, the language supports a full
array of matrix commands and there are numerous libraries available from
True Basic that augment the language for more advanced applications. For
exampl, there is an equation parser that I have found very useful.

My recommendation is purchase the Professional version for yourself and
have students use the Standard version. Alternatively, if you use the
book by Brian Hahn, True Basic by Problem Solving, there is a copy of
True Basic included with the book which works fine for small programs
since there is a limitation as to code length.

The downside of True Basic is that you are still hacking in the DOS
world which means that anything you develop will have very limited
appeal. You also have to write yourself or hope that True Basic supports
needed printer drivers etc - the kind of things that Windows takes care
of for you. Still, I think you will find True Basic well worth
investigating.

Dave McClure
Chemistry, PSU
eiger@teleport.com

On Thu, 15 Jan 1998, John Mallinckrodt wrote:

As a die hard fan of APL called BASIC, recent comments once again piqued
my interest in "True Basic." I went to the web site (at truebasic.com)
and looked around, but I'm not convinced that I have enough info to decide
which package would best suit my needs. Can someone say a few specific
words about "why you'll be sorry only to get" and/or "why you really don't
need anything more than" the Student Edition (at $20), the Standard
Edition (at $100), Version 5 (at $200), and/or "why you really ought to
spring for" the Professional Version (at $500)?

Thanks,

John
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A. John Mallinckrodt http://www.intranet.csupomona.edu/~ajm
Professor of Physics mailto:ajmallinckro@csupomona.edu
Physics Department voice:909-869-4054
Cal Poly Pomona fax:909-869-5090
Pomona, CA 91768-4031 office:Building 8, Room 223