While the number of people using RISC OS is very small by the standards of other other operating systems, and by extension the number of programmers comparatively minuscule, within the community the number of people programming is – probably, at least – quite high as a proportion of users. One of the reasons for this is almost certainly the ease with which it is possible to start programming a RISC OS computer, with one very popular language supplied out of the box – BBC BASIC is included as part of the operating system itself.
Moving away from BASIC is also very easy, with a variety of other languages available, both free and commercial, and there is freely available documentation to be found online detailing much of the operating system’s application programming interface (API), and more, as well as a number of forums that can be used to discuss issues and seek guidance or advice – and there are even how-to videos demonstrating some techniques, such as those produced for and by the RISC OS Community YouTube channel.
And another way to discuss programming issues is via the fireside chats, online meetings held via the Zoom video conferencing system. These semi-regular meetings are open to anyone who either is already developing software for RISC OS, or who is interested in doing so, and at any level – it doesn’t matter if you are already able to write quite complex software, or just a beginner who isn’t sure where to start; everyone is welcome.
With mixed levels of expertise amongst those in attendance, they are any ideal way for those who may need a little help to seek it directly from people able to offer it.
The next fireside chat will take place from 7:30pm on Saturday, 2nd March, and the credentials needed to join will be the same as before, so anyone who has joined one of these meetings previously should have them. If you’re thinking of joining for the first time – or if you’ve lost those details – you can get them:
- By contacting Andrew McCarthy on Twitter or Mastodon – or indeed from your RISC OS computer using ChatCube.
- Or by sending an email to me here in the RISCOSitory bunker. Please note, though, that any emails sent to me on the day of the meeting itself may not receive a reply until very close to the meeting’s start time!