interesting thread on comp.edu

interesting thread on comp.edu

[Michael Feldman]

comp.edu is a sort of catch-all newsgroup with two main threads of discussion:

- the use of the computer in education;
- education about computers, and CS generally

You might enjoy reading the last few days of this group, for a long
thread on the virtues and liabilities of C++ as a first language.
I've sat (mostly) on the sidelines reading this, as it's really all
I can do to keep up with comp.lang.ada.

Ada fans will be happy to know that the prevailing opinion in comp.edu
is that C++ is _not_ a good first language, mainly because of all the
unsafe stuff, for the use of which there is not an obvious alternative
(pointers, etc.). 

A comment was made that a language should provide unsage stuff, but with 
safe alternatives, and done in a way so as to be sure that programmers
know they are using the unsafe stuff. The poster said that C++ is
"evolving" in this direction. I resisted the temptation to say how
delighted I was that C++ is finally evolving, in this area, to where
Ada was 10 years ago.

Very little has been said in that thread about Ada; apparently nobody 
wanted to get the thread off on another track, and neither did I.

Happy reading.

Mike Feldman
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael B. Feldman
co-chair, SIGAda Education Committee

Professor, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
School of Engineering and Applied Science
The George Washington University
Washington, DC 20052 USA
(202) 994-5253 (voice)
(202) 994-5296 (fax)
mfeldman@seas.gwu.edu (Internet)

"The most important thing is to be sincere, 
and once you've learned how to fake that, you've got it made." 
-- old show-business adage
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: interesting thread on comp.edu

[agate!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.ed]

In article 11713@seas.gwu.edu, mfeldman@seas.gwu.edu (Michael Feldman) writes:
>
>A comment was made that a language should provide unsage stuff, but with 
                                                   ^^^^^^
>safe alternatives, and done in a way so as to be sure that programmers
>know they are using the unsafe stuff. The poster said that C++ is
>"evolving" in this direction. I resisted the temptation to say how
>delighted I was that C++ is finally evolving, in this area, to where
>Ada was 10 years ago.

Do I detect something Freudian here?  ;)

---
Mark A. Breland - Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC)
Ada Fault Tolerance                               | voice:    (512) 338-3509
3500 West Balcones Center Drive                   | FAX:      (512) 338-3900
Austin, Texas 78759-6509   USA                    | internet: breland@mcc.com

Re: interesting thread on comp.edu

[Michael Feldman]

In article <C7p10q.xn@mcc.com> breland@mcc.com writes:
>In article 11713@seas.gwu.edu, mfeldman@seas.gwu.edu (Michael Feldman) writes:
>>
>>A comment was made that a language should provide unsage stuff, but with 
>                                                   ^^^^^^
>>safe alternatives, and done in a way so as to be sure that programmers
>>know they are using the unsafe stuff. The poster said that C++ is
>>"evolving" in this direction. I resisted the temptation to say how
>>delighted I was that C++ is finally evolving, in this area, to where
>>Ada was 10 years ago.
>
>Do I detect something Freudian here?  ;)
>
I KNEW this would happen, the minute I committed the "send" command.
Yeah, a Freudian flip.

Mike