@Pavel Machek I took quick look at Lua, and yes, it can be described either as "Pascal without BEGIN", or "Python with END". I like the fact that It has associative arrays - {} - like Python. But try to implement associative arrays on 8bits... efficiently! even BASIC variable names in classical dialects tended to rely on only first two letters of variable name...

I have noticed, that Lua is the scripting language used by wonderfull free RPG "Battle of Wesnoth". I was also told it is extremely easy to link with C applications, because it is provided as library. So there may be reasons to look at it, because it seems to be very readable and clean design...

But for type-in enthusiasts, the line numbering and zero indentation of Basic may make sense. Also, there are platforms with little visual/fullscreen editing capabilities. And the number of people, who encountered BASIC when young and which are still alive, count at least in tens of millions. For Lua, you would get... tens of thousands?

Consider it something like doing "coding" instead of Sudoku or Wordle or something like it. It is perhaps just hobby, just quick brain and fingers workout. I sometimes do "recreational coding", not as type-in from paper, but I can understand some people may like to type code, just like some people use recipes from printed cookbooks.

I feel strange about people using AI chatbots to help them write code in relatively complex and unsafe languages, like C. I believe the programming ran into dead end, when well paid programmers tried to keep it very complex and esoteric, perhaps subconsciously, maybe to avoid competition? This eventually resulted in the AI bubble we live in now...

We need readable and safe programming language for masses, to be used instead of generating slop. Lua is one of notable attempts. Python is now very popular, but it is also progressively growing more complex.

BASIC seems like a dead end, but it would be adequate for many tasks.

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