Sorry to contradict you again. The text you quoted is about writing user code,it´s not about the compiler.
Whatever I accept, someone will be disappointed
Yes, that´s a problem in general, when you are the boss :-)
Once again, i understand that too many "core" statements in a language don´t help and make things complicated.
But there should be some basic support for areas of general interest, without the need of including additional stuff. The language itself should provide a basic set of statements. I´m not speaking of hundreds of statements, but depending on the area 5,10 maybe 15, maybe more. These general areas would be: I/O, graphics, numbers, math, strings, arrays, media, network (might be expanded).
Looking at arrays, strings, media and network there is next to nothing. Yes, we can have arrays, but here are no statements for doing some very basic things like sorting, searching and the like. Yes, we have strings, but except for INSTR, LEFT, RIGHT and MID there are no string processing functions (too basic in my view). Media, we have nothing, Network, we have nothing.
Next to nothing or nothing means nothing built-in. Of course there are excellent additions for these areas. But these additions are often very sophisticated and not quite easy to learn and understand. In short, it´s often overkill for a simple task. The language itself should provide enough for fulfilling a simple task.
Jeff, i know you do what you can, this is not against you! The situation as it is, is not your fault. On the contrary your effort makes things possible again. I wonder how you managed the recent release with a whole bunch of toolchains, btw. when do you sleep?
To summarize it (and i will stop telling the same over and over again) i would plead for some (limited and justified) additions to the global namespace in order to provide or improve support of FB in certain areas.
JK