The complete grammar can be found [on GitHub](https://github.com/jdan/basic2020/blob/main/lang/basic2020.pegjs)

### variables

```
X <- 10
Y <- X + 5
```

### control flow

```
IF X - Y > 0
  MAX <- X
ELSE
  MAX <- Y
END
```

### functions

```
FUNCTION factorial(N)
  IF N = 1
    RETURN 1
  ELSE
    RETURN N * factorial (N - 1)
  END
END
```


I, like many other programmers, first learned to write computer code with some variation of BASIC. To be precise - I wrote my first programs in TI-Basic during algebra class and then graduated onto Visual Basic my freshman year of high school. I found QBASIC somewhere in the midst of that before moving onto Python.

It's weird to me that a lot people learn what I believe to be much harder programming languages. JavaScript, while ubiquitous, has at least 4 ways to make a new function and as many ways to define a new variable. Bring in pattern-matching, and suddenly it's tough to keep track of all the braces.

So, I'd like to bring BASIC back (though, to be fair, [it never actually left](https://twitter.com/jdan/status/1324374679004581892)).

[https://github.com/jdan/basic2020](https://github.com/jdan/basic2020)

```
FUNCTION factorial(N)
  IF N = 1
    RETURN 1
  ELSE
    RETURN N * factorial (N - 1)
  END
END

PRINT(FACTORIAL(20))
```

I want a language with incredibly [Simple syntax](/20201107095451) and the ability to quickly and natively create [Command-line programs](/20201107095818), <a href="#" class="unwritten" title="This note has not yet been written">Drawing programs</a> and <a href="#" class="unwritten" title="This note has not yet been written">Web programs</a>.

Later on, I want to allow others to make different types of program templates (for things outside of command-line and web that I haven't thought about!) and [Editor integrations](/20201107100237).
