More on BBC Basic

Since my previous post about BBC Basic I’ve been prompted into looking into the topic further, and it appears the language might have something going for it after all – it’s very similar to the pseudocode used by OCR, and OCR seems to be supporting it, as they have provided training materials using BBC Basic to illustrate solutions.

One problem the language does seem to have is a lack of materials available, so I decided to have a go at remedying that, and have produced a KS3 workbook, similar to my Python workbook, which provides guidance into the first few steps of programming – input, output, variables, IF statements and loops – using BBC Basic, including simple exercises. My intention is that the booklet provides enough information for the more able students to progress by themselves, while others will benefit from extra guidance from their teacher.

I myself missed out on BBC Basic, as by the time it was introduced in schools I was at the top end and about to leave, but I did start off with Sinclair Basic, which was very similar. I do miss the old days of line numbering, but I have to admit that these days it’s far easier! If there is a generation of teachers out there who need to learn how to teach computing in a hurry and they’re already familiar with – or even just have a passing acquaintance with – BBC Basic, then capitalising on that would seem to be a viable way forward.

I intend to look further still into BBC Basic and pseudocode, as students are expected to understand pseudocode anyway for OCR GCSE Computing, and being able to write programs in pseudocode that translate directly into executable code would be useful, but I do feel that there needs to be some sort of introduction to another language as well. Watch this space for more news on training materials.

I remember reading once (a long time ago, admittedly!) that universities don’t want students who have already learned a programming language because they get confused when learning a second, but on the other hand those who already have experience in two find it far easier to learn a third. I myself have found that it’s the thinking and planning skills that are vital – once you understand exactly what you are trying to do, finding the exact syntax in the language of your choice becomes the easy bit. It’s like learning to drive a car: when you first learn, you’re bothered by every small difference in another car – the side the indicator is on, the biting point of the clutch – but once you gain more experience you’re aware of the differences and can work better with the similarities. In the end it doesn’t matter what sort of car you learn to drive in, as long as your skills and knowledge can be easily transferred to any car.

BBC Basic

In my look at different languages for use in GCSE computing, I never even considered BBC Basic*, so it was a surprise to discover that it’s the language used in examples given out by OCR and the language used in a new coursebook.

BBC Basic was one of the original languages used in schools, on the BBC Micro.  Back in those days, as I recall, all users learned a form of BASIC – I myself learned Sinclair Basic, on the ZX81.  At that point, each line of code needed a line number, and it was possible to jump from one line of code to another using a command called GOTO, which could result in code that could be hard to read.

password checker in BBC Basic

Now it seems that BBC Basic has been updated into a version for Windows.  There is a free version available for evaluation purposes, which limits the size of programs and prevents you producing a stand-alone version of the code.  A paid-for licence is available to lift these restrictions.

My concern is that I cannot understand why this language would be a language of choice for teaching computing.  It’s described as easy for beginners to learn, and it’s based on a language that may be familiar to those who learned their programming a couple of decades ago, but I can see no inherent benefit in using a language that’s purely for teaching and not used in any professional developments, as far as I’ve been able to find out.

I’ve tried hard to show an interest in this language, really I have.  I don’t know whether I have some deep-seated aversion to Basic, but to me this looks clumsy and hard to read, and there seem to be other languages that are free, used professionally and are far easier to read and understand at a glance than this one.  There seems to be no hook to say that BBC Basic is better because…, just the feeling that BBC Basic was the original teaching language so it should still be used.

password checker in Python

Am I missing something?  Is there some aspect of BBC Basic that makes it better than Python or Java to use?  Because I’m disappointed that OCR have chosen to release their sample code in this one language rather than provide a selection of examples.  The justification given in the book for using the language is that BBC Basic is very close to pseudocode, but I don’t see that it’s any closer than other languages, and I’m left with a feeling similar to one I felt when I originally learnt Basic – that it’s all very well, but it’s not a proper language that is actually used to create real projects.

Feel free to correct me, but this feels to me like something that is being pushed for nostalgic purposes rather than because it’s a good tool for the job. Or am I just carrying over my old teenage prejudices, with all the frustration of trying to write fast, playable games with a tool that was just too slow to work that way?

PS: Originally BASIC was always given in capitals, as an acronym for Beginners’ All Symbolic Instruction Code, but these days it seems to be adopted as just Basic.