T. G. Lewis

Speedcode is simply a disciplined, structural approach to writing reliable programs. Simplicity is the key to the elegance of Speedcode and also why it is so reliable. Lewis writes: "The building blocks of Speedcode are amazingly simple. Only three standard blocks are needed to write any program. These are executed by the microcomputer: (a) one after the other; (b) as loops; and (c) as blocks that make a decision and cause a branch down one path or another."

After reading this book, all of my programming (on my TRS-80 Model I with 48K of memory) employed basic sequential actions along with iteration (looping) and logical branching.

I never wrote a large program after this. My programs became small and modular. As a result, many of my custom programs that were originally developed on an 8-bit TRS-80 were readily transferable to 16-bit IBM PCs, then to 32-bit IBM PCs, and now on 64-bit IBM PCs. The fundamental building blocks worked reliably in assembly language, GW-BASIC, BASICA, QuickBASIC, and Visual BASIC. These modules have seen daily use at my institution for more than thirty years.… (more)

This is a 1978 idea book covering a broad spectrum of using personal computers at home. There are applications for the garage, living room, kitchen, bedroom, den, bathroom, and the split level -- well, sorta, kinda.

The garage chapter teaches the fundamentals of BASIC programming. The living room chapter teaches simple retrieval systems. The kitchen chapter teaches advanced retrieval systems. The bedroom chapter teaches word processing. The den chapter teaches business processing. The bathroom chapter teaches computer graphics. The split level chapter deals with various ideas, such as, a telephone monitor and making music.

Lewis provides only quick overviews of programming techniques in BASIC. He says, "For a complete tutorial on programming in BASIC, consult an appropriate textbook."… (more)