ZenTurtle

@LeviCelJir
They should make a python one... Perhaps I have gone on a bit... You're right about c#... In the US, $10 isn't that much, but £9 in the UK is a lot for a fiddly coding app. Just saying...

It should be noted that Petit Computer is not a Software Development Kit as Microsoft's Visual Studio is. Another problem that I did not mention about it is price: Petit Computer cost around £7.99 in the UK. In the US I remember it cost $8/9.99? My point is, that is far too expensive for even a basic IDE. VS Express is free, with upgraded editions available for a monthly subscription, and it is a professional piece of software, with C#, F#, C++ and Visual Basic. So when if SmileBoom charge what some people on this comment thread are suggesting- $20/£15? - then I would say that it is a rip-off. I know it does cost money to make the software, it's just that they need to justify the price more than in the original. They essentially have two main options:

1. Adopt the 'freemium' route. SmileBoom could charge a small amount for the basic program- BASIC language support, hopefully with most of the features suggested in this comments section. That should cost under the $5/£3 mark. They could then have extra languages for a little extra- $1 etc.
2. They could just have support for several languages from the start. Three or four common ones- Java, C++, Python, C# -that would be somethin serious homebrew developers and hobbyists would be willing to pay more for- around the $15 mark.
3. Or they will just do what they did before- overcharge for the same questionable interface, unsuitable BASIC language (I hope not) and cumbersome QR code reader.

@bloodycelt
Sometimes Python can be... a little flawed in some aspects (especially the indentation), but I think it is good as a beginner's language that can teach modern programming principals. C#, Java or C++ (or anything else, for that matter) can be learned afterward. My point isn't that Basic doesn't have its uses and applications, it's just that other languages are more suitable to begin with. Once you've learnt the principals, it shouldn't be too hard to move on to a more professional language, by which I don't mean Python or Basic.

@bloodycelt
I agree with your point.
I would certainly not expect people to start with something like C. However, Python is, in my opinion at least, a good language for beginners, and while it is not mandatory, Python does give the option of classes, unlike Basic. Python is a more modern and powerful language than Basic, yet it is as easy to learn. I learnt Python first, then learnt C#, and I found that while the syntax is very different, the principals are similar. I don't think this is true of Basic, where line referencing is rife, which makes it impractical for games, as I have said before, and not particularly easy for learning more modern languages.

@nostalgianinja
My problem is not with basic itself, just the application of it in Petit Computer. It is perfectly usable as a language, I just don't think it should be used for game development when there are many other alternatives available.

@nostalgianinja
I would argue that miiverse probably wouldn't work, it's filled with spammers and random sketches; an online store like the warioware diy store but where you could upload as well as download apps and games would work better.

@nostalgianinja
I would argue that miiverse probably wouldn't work, it's filled with spammers and random sketches; an online store like the warioware diy store but where you could upload as well as download apps and games would work better.

@Kilroy
Thankyou! A likeminded person!
I forgot about java, the syntax is similar to c# etc and it's not as limited to Microsoft's platforms...

Support for multiple languages would be good, C or even C# or C++ or at least Python would be appreciated. And support for that silly keyboard included with the Pokémon typing game would be good.

I had several problems with the original Petit Computer:

1. The language was a bad choice for it. Basic is not a modern, object-orientated language ( it's fifty years old! ). In a game, classes and namespaces are everything. Basic does not easily utilise these. A language that requires you to reference lines in your main loop, is not totally useful for a game. A more modern and easier to learn language such as Python might have been better (python is also much more efficient for some key aspects of games development).
2. The interface on Petit Computer was useless. Whoever thought up the idea of typing out code on a touch screen needs a serious rethink. It is incredibly slow and cumbersome to do this, even for simple programs. The example programs included were simply too long to have been typed out on a touch screen.
3. The Petit Computer website offered hardly any support for new programmers. Written in slightly questionable English, it should at least have shown people how they wrote their example programs, and if not that it should have had links to tutorials, and documentation showing the differences between SmileBasic and regular Basic.
4. I also thought that there should have been an easier way to distribute finished programs. The qr codes worked, but some relatively simple games required around 10- 20 qr codes to be read in order! An online store, which has programs which can be downloaded and a way to upload them would be welcome, and would save time.
5. The app didn't take advantage of the ds hardware features, either. Support for communications and internet, and an easier way to use the touchscreen would have been welcome, too.

Despite this rant, I actually thought that Petit Computer was actually a really great idea, despite some problems. The app also offered an easier and legal way for homebrew developers to get their games out there. Hopefully the developers will address those points I just gave, and add regular updates that according to what the community of players/developers want.