The Howdy Glossary

Dartmouth BASIC, also known as DTSS BASIC, emerged in the mid-1960s at Dartmouth College under the guidance of professors John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz. Their primary goal was to create a programming language that was simple enough for individuals with no advanced programming knowledge to learn and use effectively. This initiative aimed to make computing resources more accessible for educational purposes, particularly in mathematical instruction and business applications.

Characterized by its straightforward syntax and English-like commands, Dartmouth BASIC became easy to learn and use for a broad audience including students and non-programmers. Its design ensured that users could quickly write programs without needing extensive background knowledge in computing. Moreover, DTSS BASIC was integrated with Dartmouth's timesharing system (DTSS), which allowed multiple users to access the language concurrently. This feature promoted collaborative learning environments where users could engage interactively with the system, making it an innovative tool for both education and practical applications.

Despite competition from established languages like Fortran and COBOL, which were focused on scientific and business applications respectively, Dartmouth BASIC distinguished itself through its simplicity and accessibility. Its user-friendly nature lowered barriers to entry into programming, especially beneficial in educational contexts where ease of learning was crucial. The timesharing capability further enhanced its appeal by enabling collective programming efforts among users. These attributes collectively positioned DTSS BASIC as a pioneering force that not only democratized access to computing but also set a precedent for subsequent beginner-friendly programming languages like later incarnations of BASIC.