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I'm writing a history of Visual Basic, Chapter 1 is up

evilgeniuslabs.ca

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Re: I'm writing a history of Visual Basic, Chapter 1 is up

#11

Post by selimthegrim »

aaronbrethorst wrote: post #3
vunderba wrote: post #2

Why on earth would you use an AI-generated image [1] (let me be clear: POOR AI IMAGE) for the banner of this project? If you're going to use genai, you need to make sure it actually looks acceptable. Do at least one careful pass over it before publishing. Just look at the details: - The text on the book spines doesn’t even spell “Microsoft” correctly. - Dartmouth is spelled "Darmouth". SIGH. - The screenshot on the C…

MICROSOFT MARL was definitely my all-time favorite product from Microsoft.

The little-known predecessor to the Xbox and Surface, except for landscape architecture.

Re: I'm writing a history of Visual Basic, Chapter 1 is up

#13

Post by andrelaszlo »

aaronbrethorst wrote: post #3
vunderba wrote: post #2

Why on earth would you use an AI-generated image [1] (let me be clear: POOR AI IMAGE) for the banner of this project? If you're going to use genai, you need to make sure it actually looks acceptable. Do at least one careful pass over it before publishing. Just look at the details: - The text on the book spines doesn’t even spell “Microsoft” correctly. - Dartmouth is spelled "Darmouth". SIGH. - The screenshot on the C…

MICROSOFT MARL was definitely my all-time favorite product from Microsoft.

I enjoyed programming |fsuAI Bact1lon|, but I only got started with version 5.

Re: I'm writing a history of Visual Basic, Chapter 1 is up

#14

Post by bluedino »

vunderba wrote: post #2

Why on earth would you use an AI-generated image [1] (let me be clear: POOR AI IMAGE) for the banner of this project? If you're going to use genai, you need to make sure it actually looks acceptable. Do at least one careful pass over it before publishing. Just look at the details: - The text on the book spines doesn’t even spell “Microsoft” correctly. - Dartmouth is spelled "Darmouth". SIGH. - The screenshot on the C…

I'm scared of the floppy disk used to load Visual Baction

Re: I'm writing a history of Visual Basic, Chapter 1 is up

#17

Post by SilentM68 »

Excellent Idea :)

VB was practical and useful at the time, especially as a learning tool in school. I enjoyed testing the competitors that arose to emulate its abilities, including RapidQ Basic, Envelope Basic (a.k.a Phoenix Object Basic), some of which are documented here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC

I think it would be cool to see a Documentary on programming languages, e.g. their history, rivalries, successes and downfalls, of the 80s, 90s and 2000s. If it is made correctly, with humor, it could be entertaining, perhaps even profitable.

Re: I'm writing a history of Visual Basic, Chapter 1 is up

#18

Post by MBCook »

This sounds great but I’m genuinely unable to figure out how to get to part one.

Not the thumbnail. Not the pink text “A History of Visusl Basic”. Not the number one on the list of chapters. Not the chapter ousted at the very bottom.

The next button is for a different article.

How am I supposed to navigate to the thing the article is advertising to me? It’s a very strange decision not to make it really easy with a strong call to action or obvious link.

Re: I'm writing a history of Visual Basic, Chapter 1 is up

#19

Post by smackeyacky »

SilentM68 wrote: post #17

Excellent Idea :) VB was practical and useful at the time, especially as a learning tool in school. I enjoyed testing the competitors that arose to emulate its abilities, including RapidQ Basic, Envelope Basic (a.k.a Phoenix Object Basic), some of which are documented here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC I think it would be cool to see a Documentary on programming languages, e.g. their history, rivalries, succes…

There is definitely a story to be told in GUI based development environments, from VisualWorks / Digitalk smalltalk to VB to Delphi. Along with the also rans (PowerBuilder, the death of Clipper and dBase systems).

GUI interfaces were going to be a massive productivity goldmine compared to green screens and TUI interfaces. Now here we are back to those again in various forms and web browsers won in the end anyway.

Was a wild ride in the 1990s when it was happening in earnest.

Re: I'm writing a history of Visual Basic, Chapter 1 is up

#20

Post by pimlottc »

vunderba wrote: post #2

Why on earth would you use an AI-generated image [1] (let me be clear: POOR AI IMAGE) for the banner of this project? If you're going to use genai, you need to make sure it actually looks acceptable. Do at least one careful pass over it before publishing. Just look at the details: - The text on the book spines doesn’t even spell “Microsoft” correctly. - Dartmouth is spelled "Darmouth". SIGH. - The screenshot on the C…

That computer (and chonky-boy floppy disk) look so unlike any real computer from back in the day that it honestly makes me question if the author knows anything about what that era was like.
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