Re: Which first-course languages? (was: What schools use Eiffel (was: No top schools use Ada)) ?

[neil@aldur.demon.co.uk (Neil Wilson)]

Spencer Allain (spencer@ERA.COM) wrote:
: Actually, anyone who enjoys working with Eiffel, should be thankful for
: Modula-2 as many of the concepts came from there, not C.

Only in the fact that Ada and Modula were both derived from Pascal
ideas. Eiffel (particularly its syntax) was influenced in part by Ada
along with many other languages and paradigms (plus a few unique ideas
of its own). I have never heard Modula-2 mentioned in that list.

Modula-2 is a strange language. It only got anywhere because it is easier
to change a Pascal compiler into a Modula-2 compiler than an Ada-83 one. 

Given the way languages work out, is there a correlation between how
hard it is to create a compiler for a language and how successful it is?

I agree with Spencer that employing people on the basis of knowing a
particular language is a short-sighted move. It's a bit like employing
a driver on the basis that he can drive a Ford - it doesn't make him a
good driver and it doesn't mean he can't drive a Vauxhall. Unfortunately
all the employment agencies and every employer I've met works this way.

If you are any sort of software designer you can have C sorted in a week
at the most (K&R is only 190 pages long - a couple of hours read).
Concepts should come before syntax.

-- 
Neil Wilson (neil@aldur.demon.co.uk)		...Arrive without travelling,
Ossett, Yorkshire, UK				   see all without looking...