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,FREEMAIL_FROM autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII X-Google-Thread: 103376,3885b7fd66a1db28 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2002-12-21 08:04:03 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed.icl.net!newsfeed.fjserv.net!proxad.net!proxad.net!skynet.be!skynet.be!news.csl-gmbh.net!newsfeed01.sul.t-online.de!newsmm00.sul.t-online.com!t-online.de!news.t-online.com!not-for-mail From: Alfred Hilscher Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Why is Ada NOT a good choice for a beginner to programming? Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2002 16:59:50 +0100 Organization: T-Online Message-ID: <3E048FF6.164B0F9E@t-online.de> References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Trace: news.t-online.com 1040486491 07 22542 OF0OEOgVS1A-KA 021221 16:01:31 X-Complaints-To: abuse@t-online.com X-Sender: 320001779794-0001@t-dialin.net X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.75 [de] (WinNT; U) X-Accept-Language: de Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:32163 Date: 2002-12-21T16:59:50+01:00 List-Id: David Wright schrieb: > As a young adult investigating learning programming as a hobby > (self-teaching on PC, Windows 98), I=92ve been lurking for a while and = have > looked at some relevant Ada sites. My purpose is to gradually and thoro= ughly > learn computing constructs and ultimately to apply same and see how fa= r I > can take this interest. I'm not making a career of it... well not yet > anyway. > = > To this end, I obviously need to commit to a particular language progra= mming > environment (not necessarily a GUI development interface); yet there se= em to > be several hurdles to even this crucial initial step. It seems that th= ere > are three essential threshold requirements, namely: > = > 1) A free (preferably) downloadable programming environment that is ins= talls > without fuss and instability Use GNAT, AdaGide and GVD. The links are shown in Gautiers post. First install GNAT and then install AdaGide (not the other way round). GVD should be installed automatically with GNAT. > 2) Good online and hardcopy support (tutorials and textbooks) for a BEG= INNER > PROGRAMMER per se, not just beginners with that LANGUAGE You find links for download on www.adapower.com or on www.adaic.org but books in a bookstore could be a problem - most of them have only the "hypes" (C#, Java). > 3) An online community that has a tradition of supporting such beginner= s to > programming. What's about comp.lang.ada ? = > BASIC and PASCAL very!! clearly fulfill these criteria and I am tempted= to > start with one of them. However the posts of Richard Riehle and others = on > this and other newsgroups speak so highly of Ada=92s functionality and = syntax > clarity that it=92s hard to overlook this as a possibility. When I was studying, we started with Fortran and Pascal, but I think this was only because there was no Ada then (1980). Ada is a good start - from a technical point of view. But - don't tell your friends. They do C or C++ and you will be a stranger for them. = > On the other hand, and with the best will in the world, I can=92t see t= hat Ada > satisfies ANY of the three criteria above, Open your eyes ;-) > Specific Questions: > 1) Am I not giving Ada sufficient credit for being a suitable entry-lev= el > language for a BEGINNING PROGRAMMER? Yes, i think. But -you're not the only one. > 2) Would you recommend that I immerse myself in either BASIC (QBasic) o= r No. > PASCAL (Borland TP7) for a couple of years (yes, OK... forget BASIC ;D)= and Pascal, ok. But keep in mind that TP is _not_ Pascal. = > 3) If you were to opt for Ada as an entry point, which particular diale= ct or > environment would be the most user friendly from a set up and No "dialects" in Ada. > Please accept that I am not trying to offend anyone; it=92s just that t= his > initial phase is somewhat forbidding to a neophyte and I need to be a > critical, hype-detecting, cynic ;D. > = > Many thanks in advance. You're welcome ;-) = > David. Alfred