From: "Robert I. Eachus" <eachus@mitre.org>
Subject: Re: Computer Programming for Everybody?
Date: 1999/09/22
Date: 1999-09-22T19:14:35+00:00 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <37E92BB5.3C2DB9BB@mitre.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: 7ronav$shf@dfw-ixnews7.ix.netcom.com
Richard D Riehle wrote:
> I don't think we are in substantial disagreement on this except on
> the issue of language choice.
I am not as opposed to BASIC as Dijkstra is, but I understand where
he is coming from. However, I do believe that teaching a limited
language as a second language is bad form. And yes, for many children
mathematics or some "natural" language is that second language, and they
won't be hurt by being exposed to a limited language. (Teaching a
limited language as the first language or worse, the first and only
language should be criminal. Fortunately almost all children today are
being exposed to English while they are young enough for it to do some
good.)
The problem with learning BASIC as a first programming language is
that the limits it imposes on the way people think can persist for
years. It might even convince someone to LIKE programming in C++
because of the relative freedom. ;-) Incidently I don't include True
BASIC as a BASIC variant, and I am not sure I consider Visual BASIC to
be other than a visual programming tool. Also I have seen many "BASIC"
programs where more than fifty percent of the lines read PEEK or
POKE--might as well program in assembler...) There is nothing wrong
with using limited languages for limited purposes.
Also, we have a very, very serious problem developing and I don't
know what we (as industry and academia) can do about it. There is still
a significant need for software engineers that know how to program in
assember, or how to read assembly language. But most of the young
people who are learning assembly code are hackers and/or crackers. But
the jobs that need to be filled are concentrated in the safety-critical
software field...
I'd like to see something like the old NSF summer programs, where
the first summer students learn programming in Ada, Pascal, or some
other language that favors software engineering as well as something
about Web progamming. The second summer they should do some serious
assembler programming or the equivalent. (What ever happened to PL/M?)
--
Robert I. Eachus
with Standard_Disclaimer;
use Standard_Disclaimer;
function Message (Text: in Clever_Ideas) return Better_Ideas is...
next prev parent reply other threads:[~1999-09-22 0:00 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 26+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
1999-09-10 0:00 Computer Programming for Everybody? Ted Dennison
1999-09-10 0:00 ` David Botton
1999-09-10 0:00 ` Raymond Calande
1999-09-11 0:00 ` Vladimir Olensky
1999-09-12 0:00 ` Brian Rogoff
1999-09-12 0:00 ` mitch
1999-09-13 0:00 ` Preben Randhol
1999-09-13 0:00 ` Matthew Heaney
1999-09-13 0:00 ` Preben Randhol
1999-09-13 0:00 ` Larry Kilgallen
1999-09-13 0:00 ` John Duncan
1999-09-13 0:00 ` Brian Rogoff
1999-09-14 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-09-14 0:00 ` Wes Groleau
1999-09-13 0:00 ` Mike Hall
1999-09-14 0:00 ` tmoran
1999-09-13 0:00 ` Tarjei Jensen
1999-09-13 0:00 ` Richard D Riehle
1999-09-14 0:00 ` Wes Groleau
[not found] ` <Pine.HPP.3.93.990915162218.958A-100000@merle.acns.nwu.edu>
1999-09-22 0:00 ` Wes Groleau
1999-09-14 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
[not found] ` <7ronav$shf@dfw-ixnews7.ix.netcom.com>
1999-09-22 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus [this message]
1999-09-23 0:00 ` Preben Randhol
1999-09-23 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
1999-09-27 0:00 ` Richard D Riehle
1999-09-27 0:00 ` Marin David Condic
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