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=-1.2 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID, PLING_QUERY autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: f43e6,d24e07f660698f1 X-Google-Attributes: gidf43e6,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,d24e07f660698f1 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: fac41,d24e07f660698f1 X-Google-Attributes: gidfac41,public X-Google-Thread: 109fba,d24e07f660698f1 X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public From: herwin@osf1.gmu.edu (HARRY R. ERWIN) Subject: Re: C/C++ is the best teaching language??!? Date: 1997/08/06 Message-ID: <5sagok$9n2@portal.gmu.edu>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 262636736 References: <33C61545.167EB0E7@tower.com> <33E1B18E.66B4DEC2@docs.uu.se> <33e4d7ec.1596193@news.deltanet.com> <5s8bsh$mo0@alumni.rpi.edu> Followup-To: comp.software-eng,comp.lang.eiffel,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.ada Organization: George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA Newsgroups: comp.software-eng,comp.lang.eiffel,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.ada Date: 1997-08-06T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: IMHO, it takes 3-4 semesters of coursework to qualify an entry level programmer in C++. The first semester addresses everything through classes; the second covers data structures, more classes, templates, inheritance, etc.; the third is advanced algorithms, exceptions, the standard libraries, and larger programs. The fourth semester is a course in software engineering with a large team project. A language where competency requires 18-24 months of practice is probably not a good teaching language. We use it because the students are motivated ($) to learn it. -- Harry Erwin, Internet: herwin@gmu.edu, Web Page: http://osf1.gmu.edu/~herwin PhD student in computational neuroscience (how bats echolocate) Lecturer for CS 211 (data structures and advanced C++) Senior Software Analyst supporting the FAA