I first started using a personal computer around 1983 with the Sinclair ZX81. I taught myself BASIC so I could write simple games.
Since I didn’t have a tape recorder to save my programs, I had to type them in again every time I wanted to play.
Luckily, the ZX81 only had 1 kB of memory, so the programs were small : about 20 lines of BASIC filled the RAM.
The limited memory also forced me to think creatively. After learning BASIC, I explored Z80 machine language and began using commands like PEEK and POKE.
From then on, I kept coding on different machines like the Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Sun Sparc, and IBM RS/6000, and learned new languages along the way like GFA BASIC, 68000 Assembler, Turbo Pascal, C, Java, and others.
In the mid-90s, after getting a degree in computer science, I started working in the early Internet days when Mosaic was the main browser, and Netscape was just coming onto the scene. My work involved building B2B services for the web, first using CGI with Perl, and later with Java servlets.
In 2002, after working in a few different companies, I decided to co-found Softinnov, a small business focused on developing web applications.
I’m still here, working on online services.
Most of what I share here is about programming languages, operating systems, and open-source software, along with the occasional post about things I find interesting.
Contact me as @CodeCadim on Mastodon, or on my email brahim ( at ) hamdouni.com.
This blog is personal and opinions here are mine.