open devtools in your browser. (f12 in chrome)
type:
console.log ("hello world")
pretty simple
type:
console.log ("hello world")
pretty simple
When I was a kid (1984) - it was "plug the computer into the TV, turn it on, start coding (in BASIC)"
Today - a kid would have to first:
1. Start up computer, wait for it to boot (or tablet, whatever)
2. Log in (maybe)
3. Start up browser.
4. ???
Back in 1984 - it really was much simpler. Ok - well, from zero you'd have to read the manual that came with the computer, but most of the manuals jumped right into coding in BASIC, and could get you going quickly.
Then there was the plethora of computer programming magazines that you could purchase:
https://archive.org/details/computermagazines
...and today, most of them available; oh if we only had that resource back then!
But we did have a lot - plus books, BBS's (for the lucky with a modem and phone), user groups...
Today, it is nowhere near as easy to start out - not for someone with -zero- knowledge. However, if they can get over that hump - then a grand world can open for them, with the right mentoring...
If you say the main problem for kids is to use a browser on a computer in the first place, than I really doubt those kids could just start coding in basic on a computer in 1984.
And since most do use chrome, or are able to download it - and are also able to press F12 (most kids I told this, could) ... they could immediately start digging into the code of any website. Just changing colors of elements, rearranging ... and then finding out how to do the same with code.
Also, there is Scratch, Lego Mindstorms, etc. etc. the barriers have never been lower. The only problem might be, that it is too much choice and easy to get lost and loose interest, but any dedicated kid can jump into it.
Today? You may get a manual describing the computer, but that's it---how to set it up and turn it on (if that). The software comes preinstalled and if you want manuals, it's off to the Internet (either Google or Amazon).
I've been using Firefox since the days of Mozilla, and I didn't even know about F12 (then again, I haven't done any serious web development since 1999 so perhaps it's not surprising).
It is true that people don't generally ship code written in devtools, but then most of the programs shipped on the Commodore 64 were not written in basic. (Unless you count hundreds of peeks and pokes as basic.)
I do miss the immediacy of the programming experience, but I also think the correct modern day analog of that is the browser.
The browser is exactly what I had in mind when I said "you have to learn a stack of languages". Sure, okay, console.log() gets you "hello world", but so does "echo" so maybe I placed the bar too low. Still, getting into the modern web experience requires you to learn HTML + CSS + Javascript and how they relate and interop.
Fast forward a little bit from the BASIC days to Visual Basic. Back then you could write a desktop application with a GUI, controls, a window, and needed one language and one environment. I don't see how the browser world is easier or more approachable than that.
Also, if you want, you can write GUI in the browser without html/css, with the canvas element. There are frameworks for that, not sure how mature they are, though.
No you didn't, it was built into the VB editor; you just dragged and dropped elements into a window frame, then edited callback functions. You didn't have to leave VB at all or learn any other language or framework.
We've built an explicitly Visual Basic-like programming environment for the web - it's got one language (Python), drag'n'drop design, built in database, actual working autocompletion - the works: https://anvil.works.
Would love to hear what you think!