Playing with Maximite BASIC

I've been testing out the Maximite Computer I put together and learning more about the power of the Maximite BASIC (or MMBASIC) used to program the Maximite. Its the same format at the old fashioned VIC20, C64, TRS80, AppleII style BASIC and I'm having a lot of fun.

I first learned programming by using a teletype machine that was connected to a mainframe through a phone modem and programmed in this same form of BASIC. My first home computer was a VIC20 so I'm bringing back a lot of memories. One thing that I found interesting in an old QBasic book I'm using for examples is a statement from the author that recommends that you write programs that are easier to understand and modify rather than "relying on shortcuts and quick and dirty routines" to make it quicker to write. He says this makes it harder to maintain in the future.........Wonder what he'd think of today's modern C programming code?

I find most professional programmers seem to find every shortcut they can. It does make it harder to read and maintain and thus adds job security to the programmer (though its rarely admitted) because it's actually due the fact that they are always under pressure to get 10 days of coding done in 5.

I am in agreement with the author and in my books I try to use the long hand methods so the beginner doesn't get lost in the shortcuts. A=A+1 is the same as A++ in C language but which one is easier to understand for a beginner?
Then there is ++A which is not the same.

So as I re-learn BASIC form the old days I remember how much fun it was to get a program to run but also how much work it was as well. My VIC20 didn't have a tape drive (before the floppy drive) or a printer. So I would write down by hand each command line on paper first and then type each character in from the paper version. Shortcuts would have been nice but we didn't really have them. And would I understand the program later on?
And when I found an error I had to remember to erase the mistake on paper and correct it or the change would be lost as soon as I shutdown the VIC20 or lost power.

Thankfully the Maximite has an SD card to save the program and I can take the SD card to my Mac and print out the program if I want.

I also found out through searching for VIC20 sample programs that Linus Torvalds, who created LINUX, started out programming on a VIC20. I just wish more kids could get introduced to the simplicity of BASIC before having C and Perl and Ruby and C++ and... shoved at them.

I guess I'm just dating myself. Anyway, back to having fun with BASIC.