Kaimbridge said:
"(e-mail address removed)" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
I just looked at a few Python examples, and that looks more like
a Visual Basic, C+, Java(Script) type programming language for
webpages and independent standalone programs--that's a whole
different animal!
But it doesn't have to that animal. You certainly have to expect a
certain level of complexity to do those things. I am not a programmer
and don't want to use anything that complicated either. I reccomend
Python because it is simple, easy and powerful, just the thing for
a weekend programmer who just wants to use the computer the way you
use a calculator.
I'm just talking about a "barebones", simple, old fashioned--e.g.,
Apple IIe or Commodore 64 type--BASIC, with number addressing,
etc.,
Simple doesn't have to be old fashioned. Anyone who can write Apple ][
code
can learn something like Python. I used to write Aplle ][ programs and
I
certainly don't miss them.
for mostly "workbench" activity and as a rudimentary platform
for formularies, etc., where the code is in "plain language", such
as in this example:
http://groups.google.ca/[email protected]
For workbench activities, you can use the Python IDE:
IDLE 1.0print 'generation [',k+1,'] :',
for i in range(5):
a = 2**(6*(i*9**k+(9**k-1)/2+1)-1)-1
print gmpy.numdigits(a),
print
That's about as simple as you can get. There's no overhead like
creating
projects that you have to do with Visual Basic, simply type it in and
run it.
The result is
generation [ 1 ] : 2 4 6 7 9
generation [ 2 ] : 9 25 42 58 74
generation [ 3 ] : 74 221 367 513 659
generation [ 4 ] : 659 1976 3293 4610 5926
generation [ 5 ] : 5926 17777 29627 41477 53328
The numbers printed are the number of digits in the answer. Taken to
generation 24, the numbers have 8 sextillion digits, far beyond what
can
be handled. It doesn't matter how extraordinary a language is, there's
always a problem that will be intractable.
As for the "2500 digit" limitation, well... most BASICs have either
a 8-10 or 15-20 ("double precision") digit limit! P=)
That's why I don't use them and why I can't use UBASIC. When unlimited
precision is _the_ most important feature, you have to pick a language
that supports it. I've tried Python, Perl, REXX, UBASIC, C, Java and
two
different versions of Scheme. And Python is the one I recommend.
Finally, as the subject implies, you are at risk of your programs
becoming
unusable if UBASIC ever stops being supported. It might not be a bad
idea
to start researching alternatives to UBASIC before it becomes a crisis.
