The Last One

A widely criticized automatic programming application which used an interactive dialog with the user to build programs in Apple BASIC.

Also in MBASIC (Microsoft BASIC) under CP/M. My boss bought a copy in 1983, thinking he could eliminate the (overpaid) programmer. The (overpaid) programmer was drawing a salary of (USD) 19,000 plus found (i.e. anything earned on the sales floor). His experiment didn't work out. The programmer eventually left for better pay -- he was a single dad with a daughter to feed and bills to pay.

TheLastOne never seemed to be able to work out the "MarginScribbling" that always provides those ExceptionToTheRule? cases that keep us (overpaid) programmers employed.

I think this was rather ahead of its time. I played with a copy and it really worked, kinda sorta. I defined a "Hello World" program, and after swapping the two floppy disk drives (this is 1982) countless times, it produced a program that printed "Hello World". In about 13K. Oh how we laughed at the profligate waste of space.

Now I think back, it had something that has influenced my thoughts for some time. The idea that an expert system can interrogate the user, and its knowledgebase to build an application from basic components. I think there might be a big idea struggling to get out. -- RichardHenderson.

"A big idea struggling to get out" -- is another way of saying an idea which has not been fully formed or implemented. It is also a way of saying an idea may be "Utopian", or "Impossible", or an idea whose "time is not yet come".

I also remember laughing when I heard of 'The Last One - Version 4'.

The only reference I could find. Whatever happens to these people?

Looks like they are still around, and have some sort of niche market.

See MetaLevel

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