Programming Language BASIC

An old timer gets new life.

Microsoft is no stranger to programming languages like BASIC. One of the first programming languages available for the personal computer was BASIC (available in ROM and audio cassette on the original IBM PC). Since those days, BASIC has come a long way. We no longer think of loading programs from audio tape, nor do users spend hours pouring over thick books to learn cryptic DOS commands.

The 90's has signaled the Windows Era in software. Now users are able to start up their favorite application with just a point and click. But, software designers needed a tool that was both easy to use and powerful enough to drive a Windows application. Again Microsoft leaps to the forefront of software technology with Visual Basic.

Yes, it is BASIC, but not the basic your father knew. This BASIC has the ability to produce powerful Windows based applications, with all the familiar point and click functionality you know from Microsoft Windows. The ease of programming in the BASIC language has been used to model this windows based application design language.

Microsoft has used their extensive programming experience to make a completely new product that is as easy for Windows applications programmers to use as the original BASIC was for DOS programmers 20 years ago. New features, like add-in functionality, give Visual Basic an unlimited supply of new and different capabilities. Software vendors can design add-in tools for Visual Basic that can add new capability to the already rich set of features that has made this the most popular high level programming language for Windows ever. Today there are literally hundreds of add-in tools for Visual Basic programmers to use in every conceivable application situation, from database to the Internet and beyond.