Squirrel (programming language) VS thinBasic

• Lightweight
  Squirrel is designed to be a lightweight scripting language, making it ideal for applications where memory and processing power are limited, such as video games and embedded systems.
• Embeddable
  The language is easily embeddable in C++ programs, allowing integration into a wide variety of applications without significant overhead.
• Object-Oriented
  Squirrel supports object-oriented programming, which helps in organizing code and improves reusability and scalability of scripts.
• Dynamic Typing
  As a dynamically typed language, Squirrel allows more flexible coding patterns and faster prototyping, as variable types do not need to be explicitly defined.
• Coroutines Support
  Squirrel includes support for coroutines, facilitating asynchronous programming and simplifying the management of concurrent tasks.

Possible disadvantages

• Limited Libraries
  The language has a smaller ecosystem compared to more popular scripting languages like Python or Lua, limiting the available libraries and tools.
• Niche Usage
  Squirrel is not as widely used or well-known as some other scripting languages, which can make finding community support or developers familiar with it more challenging.
• Performance
  While adequate for most scripting needs, Squirrel may not deliver performance on par with statically typed languages or languages specifically optimized for performance.
• Learning Curve
  For developers not familiar with C-style syntax or the language’s unique features, there can be a learning curve involved in becoming proficient.
• Documentation
  The quality and quantity of documentation available for Squirrel is limited compared to more mainstream languages, potentially slowing down development.

• Simplicity
  thinBasic offers a straightforward syntax that is easy to learn for beginners, making it an accessible choice for those new to programming.
• Rapid Development
  Due to its simplicity and focus on procedural programming, thinBasic allows for quick prototyping and development of small to medium-sized programs.
• Rich Feature Set
  Despite its simplicity, thinBasic provides a wide range of features and modules, including support for graphics, sound, file manipulation, and more.
• Community Support
  thinBasic has an active user community and forums, where users can share scripts, discuss problems, and get support for their projects.

Possible disadvantages

• Limited Object-Oriented Support
  thinBasic is primarily a procedural language and offers limited support for object-oriented programming, which may not meet the needs of developers accustomed to modern OOP languages.
• Platform Dependency
  thinBasic is primarily designed for Windows, which can be a restriction for developers seeking cross-platform compatibility.
• Performance Constraints
  As an interpreted language, thinBasic might not be suitable for applications that require high performance or computational efficiency.
• Niche Use Case
  The language is somewhat niche and not as widely adopted in the industry, which could result in a limited job market and fewer resources compared to more popular programming languages.

• oh, so you think you're controversial?

  Squirrel would like to have a word with this comment. Source: over 4 years ago

• Generics can make your Go code slower

  * https://v8docs.nodesource.com/node-7.10/d5/dda/classv8_1_1_isolate.html#a24647f61d6b41f69668094bdcd6ea91f A project I worked on had a few points where it had to explicitly call GC multiple times back to back. Intertwined references... - Source: Hacker News / over 4 years ago

Tracking thinBasic since Mar 2021.