Apache Groovy vs. Crystal vs. Java vs. Small Basic Comparison Chart

Crystal’s syntax is heavily inspired by Ruby’s, so it feels natural to read and easy to write, and has the added benefit of a lower learning curve for experienced Ruby devs. Crystal is statically type-checked, so any type errors will be caught early by the compiler rather than fail on runtime. Moreover, and to keep the language clean, Crystal has built-in type inference, so most type annotations are unneeded. All types are non-nilable in Crystal, and available variables are represented as a union between the type and nil. As a consequence, the compiler will automatically check for null references in compile time. Crystal’s answer to metaprogramming is a powerful macro system, which ranges from basic templating and AST inspection to types inspection and running arbitrary external programs.

Small Basic is the only programming language created especially to help students transition from block-based coding to text-based coding. By teaching the fundamental elements of syntax-based languages in an approachable manner, Small Basic gives students the skills and confidence to tackle more complex programming languages such as Java and C#. You can also build applications for Kinect, Lego Mindstorm, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Oculus Rift, and more using Small Basic. Small Basic combines a friendly environment with a very simple language and a rich and engaging set of libraries to make your programs and games pop! In a matter of a few lines of code, you will be well on your way to creating your very own game! Share your programs with your friends and let them import your published programs and run them on their computers. Using the Silverlight player, you can even post your games on your own blogs and websites and play them in the browser.