Path: csiph.com!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: rbowman Newsgroups: comp.unix.shell,comp.os.linux.misc Subject: Re: Over-Elaborate Shell Scripting Date: 13 Mar 2026 19:13:25 GMT Lines: 23 Message-ID: References: <10otpi4$1opu8$3@dont-email.me> <10otrqi$1p9ft$1@dont-email.me> <10ou2q9$1qp29$1@dont-email.me> <10oucet$vo4d$2@news.xmission.com> <10ov0al$27u8r$1@dont-email.me> <10ov8u5$2coog$1@dont-email.me> <10ovrds$2jl1v$2@dont-email.me> <10ovuk2$2lsp1$2@dont-email.me> <10p022n$2n0mu$1@dont-email.me> <6uOdnX-c6IPxPC70nZ2dnZfqn_GdnZ2d@giganews.com> <10p0uld$30rut$17@dont-email.me> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: individual.net BaIMjDbcN786h9iV+czUCwlartKjumd96TIYUeSbgpGzvlex0S Cancel-Lock: sha1:FstwcuYK7QS/hFlhVu0T+7lzEbY= sha256:Pd/CefmmX3AN70i4NKjlCA34YU5MPhxDoHesXH7+yqI= User-Agent: Pan/0.162 (Pokrosvk) Xref: csiph.com comp.unix.shell:26691 comp.os.linux.misc:82926 On Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:07:09 +0000, The Natural Philosopher wrote: > Back in the day I came across and used enormous accounting systems > written in BASIC. The IBM 5120, an entry level small business computer, came equipped with two languages, BASIC and APL. Guess which I used. It included BRADS II, sort of a low rent RPG that was written in BASIC. Despite the 51xx product designation for the 5100, 5110, and 5120 it had nothing in common with the 5150 PC. Starting at $10000 1980 dollars it and the subsequent System 23 were IBM's last shot at small business computers. https://grokipedia.com/page/IBM_System%2F23_Datamaster The System/23 dropped APL and used a 8085 instead of the homegrown PALM processor but it was still a BASIC computer with BRADS III. The System/34 was the next step up the ladder and had RPG, COBOL, FORTRAN, and BASIC. The BASIC was compatible with the smaller machines to allow for an easy upgrade. It definitely was not a personal computer https://www.corestore.org/34.htm