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=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: fac41,d24e07f660698f1 X-Google-Attributes: gidfac41,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,d24e07f660698f1 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: 109fba,d24e07f660698f1 X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public X-Google-Thread: f43e6,d24e07f660698f1 X-Google-Attributes: gidf43e6,public From: Mike Stark Subject: Re: Eiffel anyone? - Who uses it? Date: 1997/07/11 Message-ID: <33C63AF2.7178@gsfc.nasa.gov>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 256187938 References: <33C61545.167EB0E7@tower.com> Organization: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center -- Greenbelt, Maryland USA Newsgroups: comp.software-eng,comp.lang.eiffel,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.ada Date: 1997-07-11T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: ivory@tower.com wrote: > > My friend's son is looking at colleges, and was startled to see > that RIT appears to have a heavy focus on the language Eiffel for > the first 2-3 years. He's using this as a black mark against the > school. The thinking is that he'd rather be learning a 'real' > language that has real-life value on the job market. > > He's asked me for my opinion, and I'd have to say that I somewhat > agree. I've never met an Eiffel programer, and don't see a lot of > ads for them in the classifieds. Note: I'm not debating whether or > not Eiffel is a good language; that's not the concern. The concern > is whether or not the job market will see this as having been time > well spent. > > So, what's the (reality based) counter argument? The counter argument is that he will learn how to do software engineering right. The purpose of education is to give you the principles you need to understand a field and to keep up with how its changing. A graduate of a good program will be able to make transitions between languages fairly easily, because he will understand how to build software systems, most of which has nothing to do with the language of choice. Languages are easy to learn compared to design principles, large project engineering, configuration management, testing approaches, etc. If your friend's son likes RIT except for the language used, he would be foolish not to go there. I also suspect that there are single courses based on the more popular languages that he can pick up if need be. He can also pick up industry practices via co-oping or summer jobs. Mike > > [obviously, I seldom (ever) read each of the newsgroups I posted this > to, so please e-mail responses as well as re-post. thanks] > > John > > --------------------------------------- ________ --------------------- > John E. Ivory V: 315-724-3540 / ___ ___ ___ > ivory@tower.com F: 315-724-3129 / / / | /| / /_ /__/ > / /__/ |/ |/ /__ / | > - http://www.tower.com C O N C E P T S , I N C > --- > ----- Razor: File version control with integrated problem tracking ---- -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Stark NASA/GSFC Phone: (301) 286-5048 Code 551 Fax: (301) 286-0245 Greenbelt, MD 20771 e-mail: michael.e.stark@gsfc.nasa.gov "I don't give them hell. I tell the truth and they THINK it's hell!" Harry S. Truman --------------------------------------------------------------------------------