SYMPL is a general-purpose programming language developed in the 1980s by Bob Bishop as a successor to BASIC, drawing inspiration from LOGO and LISP. It was designed for simplicity and ease of use, with a straightforward syntax ideal for beginners learning to program. Targeting educational settings, SYMPL introduces students to structured programming concepts like functions, loops, and conditionals. While originally used on microcomputers like the TRS-80 Color Computer series, it has become less common with the rise of more modern languages and platforms.
During its time, SYMPL faced competition from other programming languages popular in the 1980s like BASIC, Pascal, and FORTRAN. BASIC was particularly notable due to its widespread usage and beginner-friendly nature. Pascal posed additional competition with its strong typing and structured programming features appealing in educational contexts. Languages like Logo shared similarities with SYMPL given their educational focus. However, advancements brought more modern languages such as Python, Java, and C++, which now dominate due to broader applications and industry relevance.
SYMPL distinguished itself through user-friendly design tailored for beginners learning how to code by incorporating structured programming concepts early on in an accessible manner. The language's unique blend of inspirations from LOGO and LISP also added distinctive elements conducive for educational purposes on platforms like the TRS-80 Color Computer series. Despite these advantages during its prime era in terms of accessibility and foundational teaching value within educational settings, SYMPL eventually saw a decline as newer languages offering greater versatility took precedence in both education and industry applications.