There was a time when anyone could try programming, thanks to the ubiquity of Basic. But Basic's a nonstarter these days, so what will entice a new generation?

The BASIC programming language turns 60 Easy-to-use language that drove Apple, TRS-80, IBM, and Commodore PCs debuted in 1964.

The National Science Foundation recognized software that translates dance moves to a computer avatar, teaching students basic computational skills.

Once upon a time, knowing how to use a computer was virtually synonymous with knowing how to program one. And the thing that made it possible was a programming language called BASIC.

Academia and business moved away from BASIC and Pascal to languages like C and C++, which were developed by those in the tech industry. But forward-thinkers like Wirth set the stage for higher ...