[AccessD] New Language

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC

The eight design principles of BASIC were:

    1. Be easy for beginners to use.
    2. Be a general-purpose programming language.
    3. Allow advanced features to be added for experts (while keeping the language simple for 
beginners).
    4. Be interactive.
    5. Provide clear and friendly error messages.
    6. Respond quickly for small programs.
    7. Not to require an understanding of computer hardware.
    8. Shield the user from the operating system.

There are phases in learning to program.

0) Selecting a learning tool
1) learning programming concepts, keywords and constructs (loops / tests)
2) coming up with an idea of something to program
3) selecting a tool to implement the idea
4) Learning the tool
5) Implementing that idea
6) Go to 1

Whether or not basic will be around in the future it is a good language for starting to learn to 
program.  IMHO, more than anything else, the programming environment and specifically the ease or 
difficulty of use of that environment determines the success of learning to program.

Access and VBA is certainly not the easiest to use environment, but it is still very easy.  Creating 
a database is easy.  Creating a new module is easy.  Creating a form and button and text box is 
easy.  You can progress one step at a time.

1) Here is how to build a database container.
2) Here is how to create a module and save it
3) Here is how to open that module and add a function
4) Here is the debug window - how to execute that method and see a result.

etc.  The advantage of starting in Access is that while you are at it, you're teaching the concepts 
in a real life environment, which has enormous power to "go to the next step" particular in database 
applications.

5) here is how to create a table (and what a table is)
6) Fields
7) open and enter data (cool, the data is stored!)

All tightly integrated.

8) Here is a form and a button.
9) here is the code that runs when the button is clicked.

easy to move on to more stuff, interesting stuff, stuff that can earn Dad money... ;)



John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com

On 4/11/2011 7:35 PM, Darryl Collins wrote:
>
> _______________________________________________________________________________________
>
> Note: This e-mail is subject to the disclaimer contained at the bottom of this message.
> _______________________________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
> Hi John,
>
> My only concern would be that VBA is (probably) a slowly dying language - or at least being phased out by .net etc.  Mind you the principles of good programming are similar regardless of the language.  Interested to hear about this as one day it will be my turn to teach my kids.  The oldest is only 3 but already he enjoys poking around on the computer. "Work" he calls it.
>
> good luck John, keep keeping us informed on your progress here.
>
> regards
> Darryl.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby
> Sent: Tuesday, 12 April 2011 2:27 AM
> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] New Language
>
> My 10 year old son is independently and without prompting asking dad to teach him how to program a
> computer.  :)
>
> It appears that he has decided that what dad does is pretty cool.
>
> Anyway, I think I will look at this with Robbie.  I think I will also start teaching him Access.
> IMHO, Access is a pretty easy to use programming environment, with the debug window to just execute
> code, buttons to press to cause code to run, and text boxes (unbound) to enter data in for things
> like a simple "add two numbers" first project.
>
> Does anyone want to share "teaching the kids" stories?
>
> John W. Colby
> www.ColbyConsulting.com
>
> On 3/25/2011 5:41 PM, Stuart McLachlan wrote:
>> For all you people who are looking at  moving away from Acces who want something easy to
>> use  and are wedded to the .Net world, MS have just the thing for you:
>>
>> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/beginner/ff384126.aspx
>>
>> :-)
>>
>>
>>