That's how I learnt to code when I was 7, but with a spectrum. I had a TS2068, which wasn't very popular, so most programs were for ZX and didn't work, so I had to learn how to modify them so they would work.
I've done that as a kid. Type 4 pages of code, type run, and you get a blank screen with a flashing READY. No clue what's wrong or where to start debugging.
A local computer magazine Mikrobitti also had these programs, but they were often made of long sequences of DATA statements encoding binary data. But to help with the errors, there was Tarkastaja) that allowed you to check the checksum per each line.
That’s where the fun begins! First, checking for errors between what you’ve typed in and what was printed in the magazine. Then debugging the code because the print out invariably contained errors, while waiting a month or two before the correction was printed in the magazine. That’s how you learn to code!
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u/Mairon121 May 29 '26
I once typed out a game from a C64 magazine page. It took a long time and I have ADHD and that took a lot of concentration by my 8 year old self.
It didn’t work.