BASIC vs JavaScript

There is a comparison to be made between BASIC and JavaScript. If you're coming from BASIC, you miss that JavaScript cannot go anywhere and do anything-you have to abide by stricter rules and bigger limitations. But the flip side of that is the way you get to use links and relate to the world via the Net.

So what is this thing called BASIC? It can be interpreted (the BASIC interpreter figuring out what to do next one line at a time, like with QBasic) or compiled (turned into machine language code so the computer can understand what to do with it), like with QuickBasic). But the main thing is that it uses English words that make is easy to understand and be creative with. Programs will just run from the first line to the last and stop unless they're programmed to continually cycle through a certain codeblock that monitors conditions such as mouse activity and/or keypresses-which most are-and respond to these events.

JavaScript is called a scripting language, in that it is interpreted, like BASIC, and does not need to be compiled to run. Its purpose is to add interactivity to Websites, since HTML doesn't. Both languages have logical operators like OR (||) and AND (&&) and NOT(!). Both have variables, values, strings, and keyboard and mouse interactions. Both have functions that can be called, but only BASIC has GOTO branches and true subroutines like SUB or GOSUB. Both have IF and ELSE conditionals as well as WHILE and FOR loops. And both are great creativity environments. A BASIC expert moving over to JavaScript can soon be productive and happy, since s/he's seen many of these commands before.