Just a quick side note - is Swordfish still going, when I went to the website all it had was the evaluation copy for download and no purchase options that worked - I don't want it, just curious (I have a really early copy somewhere).
The free version has very generous limits to the point where some users never upgrade to the paid version.
The free version also has some issues with newer chips in the way memory is laid out.
I'm an extremely satisfied user. Swordfish is a fast compiled Basic, similar to Visual Basic. It's got great ongoing support. Highly recommended by this user.
I find it far easier to use than coding for Arduino – there always seem to be an excessive amount of punctuation required. My opinion — not open for debate.
And please don't judge Swordfish Basic on the trials and tribulations of a certain member of this forum; his experiences ARE NOT representative of the language.