The BASIC interpreter parses numerical values from text each time a token gets executed. It converts that into a float and, in the case of POKE, then into an integer. Using the dot without the implicit leading zero, there's no need to convert a "0” (48 in decimal) into a zero and, possibly, a multiplication by 10 of previously parsed digits, in this case the starting zero value.
Maybe, but it is not known that he did for that particular reason.
The sales assistants in department stores on the other hand... different story.
In the 80s stores often had home computers for display and for customers to try them out. Much like they have tablets and phones on display now. Kids being kids used to play pranks with these machines and one way to hang a Commodore 64 was POKE 1,0 (or POKE 1,.). The store employees hated it because they had to come and reset the machines all the time.
For me POKE 1,0 will always be burned into my mind as a dangerous frightening command, hence the " Oh, nooo".
I do not have any information if Edsger Dijstra held similar feelings and whether they contributed to his hate for BASIC.
Sorry. I was joking. Dijkstra’s criticism wasn’t as much for the syntax.
I would, however, prefer “POKE X” as a shorthand for “POKE X, 0”, but this might as well be a bug of the parser rather than an intended feature. Code had to be very compact back then.
