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=-0.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00, REPLYTO_WITHOUT_TO_CC autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,ea8ea502d35ca2ce X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-05-05 03:26:32 PST Path: newsfeed.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!headwall.stanford.edu!unlnews.unl.edu!newsfeed.ksu.edu!nntp.ksu.edu!news.okstate.edu!dvdeug From: dvdeug@x8b4e53cd.dhcp.okstate.edu (David Starner) Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Beginner's Language? Date: 5 May 2001 09:06:42 GMT Organization: Oklahoma State University Message-ID: <9d0fr2$9281@news.cis.okstate.edu> References: <9cukad$nn68@news-dxb> Reply-To: dstarner98@aasaa.ofe.org NNTP-Posting-Host: x8b4e555d.dhcp.okstate.edu User-Agent: slrn/0.9.7.0 (Linux) Xref: newsfeed.google.com comp.lang.ada:7199 Date: 2001-05-05T09:06:42+00:00 List-Id: On Sat, 5 May 2001 08:23:10 +0200, Gerhard =?iso-8859-1?Q?H=E4ring?= wrote: > I can say that I am not a great friend of making shortcuts in the education of > future software engineers. IMHO the people starting with Java from the start > (in our current lab project, the profs are using lots of XP techniques) try to > introduce too much too fast (OOP from day one, etc.). With Java, you have no option but to introduce OOP quickly. Everything is a class in Java. > So, in your position I would look into Python (my favourite) or Scheme. Or > perhaps another functional language like Haskell (there is an interpreter > called Hugs). Why a functional language? I would think a procedural language would be easier to teach as a first language, and would provide them with framework needed for the languages most programmings being done it. > 7th grade? Please don't throw a big language like Ada at them. Why? It seems more important to have a teachable subset (with Ada subsetting very nicely) than to have the whole language be small. I don't like the idea of teaching a limited language; first, it can make examples in the language impossible (cf. _Software Tools_, where the encryption routines were removed in the transition from Ratfor to Pascal, because they couldn't be written in Pascal.) Second, students are probably going to use what they learned first, even when it's inappropriate. Note the number of Pascal and Basic dialects; people were taught a limited language, and then extended it to get the job done. Ada will expand with the learning of the student. -- David Starner - dstarner98@aasaa.ofe.org Pointless website: http://dvdeug.dhis.org "I don't care if Bill personally has my name and reads my email and laughs at me. In fact, I'd be rather honored." - Joseph_Greg