From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Thread: 103376,cbdf4b7efd0b03b5 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public,usenet X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit Path: g2news1.google.com!news3.google.com!feeder1-2.proxad.net!proxad.net!feeder2-2.proxad.net!newsfeed.arcor.de!newsspool1.arcor-online.net!news.arcor.de.POSTED!not-for-mail Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Textbooks (Was: Decline?) From: Georg Bauhaus In-Reply-To: <47da6400$0$1774$4d3efbfe@news.sover.net> References: <47d7de50$0$89175$157c6196@dreader1.cybercity.dk> <6401244f-3062-4f4a-8f19-4e71b6b1ff11@n75g2000hsh.googlegroups.com> <47d7f5ce$0$99023$157c6196@dreader2.cybercity.dk> <87tzjb8nfa.fsf@ludovic-brenta.org> <47da6400$0$1774$4d3efbfe@news.sover.net> Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Message-Id: <1205502995.6445.28.camel@K72> Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Evolution 2.12.1 Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:56:36 +0100 Organization: Arcor NNTP-Posting-Date: 14 Mar 2008 14:56:36 CET NNTP-Posting-Host: 3edba912.newsspool1.arcor-online.net X-Trace: DXC=N3A>YZPXob:gP]QSEBQ^d4ic==]BZ:af>4Fo<]lROoR1<`=YMgDjhg2_E6IS^WgPL3PCY\c7>ejV8h>M0g\4HOG:8@l0^jem@i6 X-Complaints-To: usenet-abuse@arcor.de Xref: g2news1.google.com comp.lang.ada:20374 Date: 2008-03-14T14:56:36+01:00 List-Id: On Fri, 2008-03-14 at 07:39 -0400, Peter C. Chapin wrote: > I'm working with second year students so a nice textbook would be > helpful. When I teach the seniors I usually just say, "This material is > covered in the book," and leave it to them to figure out where. In that > case a carefully organized textbook is less necessary. IMHO, one of the best books introducing just Ada to the beginning student is Naiditch, David: Rendezvous with Ada 95. Jon Wiley & Sons. While the sentences in this book are so simple that you might think they are too simple, this is deceptive. A teacher insisting on careful reading of simple sentences will have everyone profit. The book is written with a definitive pedagogical attitude, it seems full of experience, and is sparkling with elucidating hints (anonymous means nameless). "In order for two tasks to interface, one task must call the other task. The task that does the calling is known as the calling task. The task that is called is known as the acceptor task." (p.509) When did you last hear of an acceptor task? Does it give some new insight into why there is an "accept" keyword in the language?