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: 1696ae,97188312486d4578 X-Google-Attributes: gid1696ae,public X-Google-Thread: 1014db,6154de2e240de72a X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public X-Google-Thread: 109fba,baaf5f793d03d420 X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,97188312486d4578 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: fc89c,97188312486d4578 X-Google-Attributes: gidfc89c,public From: Lee Crites Subject: Re: Should I learn C or Pascal? Date: 1996/07/16 Message-ID: <4sf9e7$kl7@news.jump.net>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 168472791 references: <4rs76l$aqd@ccshst05.uoguelph.ca> <4sdlco$rtl@nntp.seflin.lib.fl.us> content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii organization: Computer Mavericks mime-version: 1.0 newsgroups: comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++,comp.unix.programmer,comp.dos.programmer,comp.lang.ada x-mailer: Mozilla 1.22 (Windows; U; 16bit) Date: 1996-07-16T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: z007400b@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us (Ralph Silverman) wrote: >Gabor Egressy (gegressy@uoguelph.ca) wrote: >: Seth Perlman (sperlman@ezo.net) wrote: >: : First, my situation: I am going to be a senior in high school in the fall. >: : I've been toying with programming computers ever since I learned BASIC on >: : my Commodore 64 at the age of 6. I learned a smattering of C a few years >: : ago, and I took a semester course in school this year which was an intro >: : to Pascal. Sadly, it's the most advanced computer course at my school, >: : which means that I have nowhere else to turn for instruction in >: : programming. > > >: : *** Should I learn to program in C or Pascal? *** > >: Here is a quote from Brian W. Kernighan of "The C Programming Language" fame. >: He is also an internationally respected lecturer who has been there since >: the inception of UNIX and C. >: "I feel that it is a mistake to use Pascal for anything much beyond its >: original target. In its pure form, Pascal is a toy language, suitable for >: teaching but not for real programming." >: Draw your own conclusions. Before you "draw your own conclusions," keep in mind that Kernighan is one of the founding voices in c. A more biased opinion could hardly be found. Ask Wirth what he thinks about the C vs Pascal dispute. It would be the same kind of thing. Also keep in mind that this rather lengthy diatribe was comparing c with the 'standard' pascal, not what it has become. Today's pascal is as different from what was being discussed as today's c++ is from the old c. Both languages are evolving and becoming more and more of what the programmers need. Part and parcel to the "should I learn this or that" question, though, is the thought that one can do without knowing one of them. I believe this is wrong. The real answer, from my perspective, is you should learn BOTH, and learn both WELL! After all, these c vs pascal disputes are chiefly religious in nature. Dispense with the arm waving and name calling, either one will do for most applications. I have heard some tell me how some application could only be written in one or the other, but so far nobody's been able to really convince me. I remember the arguments about how COBOL was the ultimate language and nothing else could be needed. I've been hearing these rather anal arguments for nearly 20 years. (I started learning programming in college in 1976) So please, don't trap yourself in the one-or-the-other mindset. Learn both. You will be a better programmer -- and a more valuable employee -- for it. Lee Crites Computer Mavericks