BASIC (Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a high-level programming language that was developed in the 1960s by John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz at Dartmouth College. It was designed to be easy to learn and use, making it an ideal language for beginners. BASIC has evolved over the years and is still in use today, particularly in education and hobbyist programming. In this guide, we will take a look at the history of BASIC, its syntax, and some of its applications.

History:
BASIC was developed at Dartmouth College in the mid-1960s as a language for non-computer science students to use in their coursework. Its creators, John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz, wanted to create a language that was easy to learn and use. The first version of BASIC was released in 1964, and it quickly became popular in educational and hobbyist circles. BASIC was one of the first high-level programming languages, and it paved the way for languages like Pascal, C, and Java.

Syntax:
BASIC is a simple language that uses English-like keywords and commands. It is designed to be easy to read and write, with a minimal amount of punctuation. Some of the most common commands in BASIC include PRINT, INPUT, GOTO, IF, and FOR. Here is an example of a simple BASIC program that asks the user for their name and then prints a greeting:

```
10 PRINT "What is your name?"
20 INPUT NAME$
30 PRINT "Hello, "; NAME$; "!"
```

This program consists of three lines of code. The first line uses the PRINT command to display a message on the screen. The second line uses the INPUT command to prompt the user to enter their name. The third line uses the PRINT command again to display a personalized greeting.

Applications:
BASIC has been used in a wide range of applications over the years. In addition to its original use in education, it has been used in scientific research, business applications, and hobbyist programming. Some popular applications of BASIC include:

- Games: BASIC was used to create many popular games in the 1970s and 1980s, including classics like "Adventure" and "Hunt the Wumpus."

- Business applications: BASIC has been used to create a wide range of business applications, from inventory management systems to point-of-sale software.

- Hobbyist programming: BASIC has remained popular among hobbyist programmers, particularly in the realm of microcontrollers and embedded systems.

Conclusion:
BASIC is a simple and easy-to-learn programming language that has had a significant impact on the world of computer science. Its history dates back to the early days of computing, and it has remained relevant and useful over the years. If you are interested in learning to program, BASIC is a great language to start with. With its simple syntax and wide range of applications, BASIC is a great tool for beginners and experts alike.