This author has remained a non-programmer for several reasons: It seems like a lot of work. Most problems have been solved and it seemed easier to use someone else’s programs. The programs as written seemed uncomprehensible. However, the temptation has always been there to learn the art and I have actually made some minor modifications in some programs e.g. to get the program to LPRINT.
Now there is some hope for those of us who share the above hangups. A series of articles entitled “Structured Programming in BASIC” by Arthur LuehRmann, has appeared in five recent issues of Creative Computing (May-Oct. 84). He is on the ANSI Committee X352 developing ANSI Minimal Basic which is available from ANSI, 1430 Broadway, N.Y., N.Y. 10018. He has also written a book, Computer Literacy-A Hands on Approach with Peckham (McGraw Hill) for students.
As described, at least in print, it seems extremely easy. One starts by stating the aims of the program at the onset in English as a REM statement which he calls a ‘Top down approach.” As each aim of the programmer is encountered iT becomes a GOSUB to a subroutine. In turn, one only needs three types of subroutines in “blocks”: 1. The Action Block e.g. INPUT, LET or PRINT. 2. The LOOP block with DO and IF…THEN. for repetitive calculations. 3. The Branch Block with IF…THEN and FALSE AND TRUE. There then should be a straight sequence of these blocks and no wild GOTOs all over the program. That’s all there is to it. All flow charts are eliminated. Now all we need are some ready made blocks. Fortunately much of this has been done for us. Most programs are spaghetti and hard to follow but occasionally one can find a block in a well-written program. In addition there are books of blocks: one from CcGraw-Hill is called GOSUBS (100 subroutines for $9.95) and the Ideabook from Creative Computing for $8.95 (50 programs), both for the TS 1000.
For the future, ANSI Basic, a super set of Minimal Basic, will even eliminate the line members and substitute CALL which will direct the program to the specific word that identifies the block.
Murphy said something about nothing being as simple as it appears. Hopefully these methods will help some of us add to our control of the computer.