Beginners Guide to Computer Languages
Just as you don’t need to be a mechanic to know how to drive, modern computers have become so user friendly that you don’t really have to know how they work in order to operate them. Nevertheless, if you’re curious, or are interested in becoming a computer professional, a basic understanding of what makes computers tick (what’s happening “under the hood”) can be quite valuable.
The popular expression is that computers use only two words, 0 and 1. While this may or may not be true, computers do not speak English or French, and certainly do not read minds. The job of a computer programmer is to tell the computer what it should do. The job of a computer language is to create a framework in which people (i.e. users or programmers) and computers can communicate. Two such languages are Qbasic and Visual basic.
Although in principal, Qbasic and VB are really just sets of commands to tell the computer what to do (or translate the desire of the user into ones and zeros that the computer can understand); there are significant differences between Qbasic and VB.
The first and most obvious difference between Qbasic and Visual basic is that a Qbasic is a dos program whereas VB (Visual Basic) is a windows program. That means that while they both have thriving communities of enthusiastic programmers, Qbasic is old. And while it is perfectly good as a programming language, the operating system that it works and compiles in is getting less and less compatible with modern computers. So while the programs it makes might be intrinsically flawless, they are not useful. On the other hand since VB is a newer programming language, it can be used to make programs that can be distributed and possibly sold because the programs it makes are compatible with modern computers. Even programs that are not so good can be useful if made by VB.
A second difference is in the way the programs are and can be made. VB is preloaded with all kinds of buttons and boxes, however mostly it is limited to these as forms of input and output. Qbasic is not preloaded with any user interface at all, let alone one with preset functionality, but can be programmed to take input anywhere and anyhow, if you can figure out a way to put it into code. But while VB can use many colors, Qbasic can only handle 16 of them.
The third and most important difference is in the way the languages run. Whereas as Qbasic runs like a flowchart and in fact could be written into one, Visual Basic is a series of scripts for events. So, while Qbasic is processing lines of code one by one, VB is waiting for something to happen. Conversely, while VB is recognizing a click on a button and running through the event’s script, Qbasic is still trotting through its code, unaware that anything happened because it was not told to check.
Since 90% of businesses and virtually 100% of homes use the windows operating system, VB is the language of choice for nearly all-commercial programs. Nevertheless Qbasic is still valuable as a learning tool to understand the fundamentals and logic of computer programming. A person wishing to understand HOW to program might benefit from learning Qbasic first before venturing on to other languages.
Yaakov David writes from Pittsburgh, PA. He is the CIT manager of Graduation Cap and Gowns, a leading supplier of academic regalia to high schools, universities and faculty members with doctorates needing PhD gowns, academic hoods, and velvet tams.
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