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From: dweller@universe.digex.net (David  Weller)
Subject: Re: Do college AP tests require C++ knowledge?
Date: 1997/12/09
Message-ID: <66kksc$80r@universe.digex.net>#1/1
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References: <65vqjn$9tk$1@flood.weeg.uiowa.edu>
 <3485E349.4ADBDE9F@net1plus.com> <66cqhg$ama$1@walter.cs.umd.edu>
 <348DBAFF.52BF@hso.link.com>
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
Newsgroups: 
 comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.c++,misc.education.science,comp.software-eng
Date: 1997-12-09T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>


In article <348DBAFF.52BF@hso.link.com>,
Stanley R. Allen <s_allen@hso.link.com> wrote:
>This is a problem.  C is much more of a lingua franca than
>C++, like FORTRAN was 20 years ago.  Also, many educators
>are seriously opposed to basing the student's education on
>C++ and instead prefer Java, Ada 95, or Eiffel.  
>

Of course it's a problem, but that's irrelevant.  ETS heard numerous
arguments against using C++ for the AP test, but ignored every one of
'em.  If I recall correctly, C++ will be used for the AP tests
starting next year.

Heck, it would have been far wiser for ETS to stick with their Pascal
version.  ost high schools are struggling with getting "newer"
computers, and many are still saddled with "old" Apple IIs (or IBM PCs
with 386SX or 286 CPUs).  None of the languages you listed (Ada95,
Eiffel, or Java) are very friendly to the "old" architectures. Then
again, just try to find an ISO-compliant C++ compiler for an Apple II
next year :-)

In the end, it will be noted that ETS gave in to enormous "peer
pressure".  I have no doubt they'll switch to Java within five years
(so they can switch to more economical web-based testing).

(This isn't a slam against C++, by the way, it's just godawful for
teaching to high schoolers)

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