Several derivatives of Pascal exist which enhance the language, such as Object Pascal.
Why would I learn this language?
Pascal is considered to be one of a few languages which one can learn completely. The language is deliberately limited and (by default) there are few external libraries. In this sense, learning Pascal is a finite process.
Pascal has a simple syntax and easy to understand type system. Programs are generally fairly easy to read and write.
Pascal is a fairly well established language, but is also not very modern.
Starting Points
- Learn Pascal
- Beginner guide to programming using Pascal.
- Free Pascal
- Open Source Compiler for Pascal and Object Pascal.
Example Code
Here is an example of the Fizz Buzz problem:
program FizzBuzz(output);
var
i : integer;
begin
for i := 1 to 100 do
if i mod 15 = 0 then
writeln('FizzBuzz')
else if i mod 3 = 0 then
writeln('Fizz')
else if i mod 5 = 0 then
writeln('Buzz')
else
writeln(i)
end.
Here is an example of the 100 doors problem:
program OneHundredDoors;
var
doors : Array[1..100] of Boolean;
i, j : Integer;
begin
(* Initialize the array of doors to closed *)
for i := 1 to 100 do
doors[i] := false;
(* Process the doors *)
for i := 1 to 100 do begin
j := i;
while j <= 100 do begin
doors[j] := not doors[j];
j := j + i
end
end;
(* Print out the results *)
for i := 1 to 100 do begin
Write('Door #', i, ' is ');
if doors[i] then
WriteLn('open.')
else
WriteLn('closed.');
end;
end.