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=-0.5 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_05 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Thread: 103376,b2d36a382ccbeb18 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,domainid0,public,usenet X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit Path: g2news1.google.com!news3.google.com!feeder1-2.proxad.net!proxad.net!feeder1-1.proxad.net!club-internet.fr!feedme-small.clubint.net!nuzba.szn.dk!news.jacob-sparre.dk!pnx.dk!not-for-mail From: "Randy Brukardt" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: How Would a Hobbyist Learn Ada? Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:04:29 -0500 Organization: Jacob's private Usenet server Message-ID: References: <2ee634c3-0dee-4f02-8b02-c4804efd068f@x19g2000prg.googlegroups.com> <69ea5144-0c58-4a16-91fb-6eefa34646bb@w8g2000prd.googlegroups.com> <4843C58D.6080603@gmail.com> <4843e82c$0$27444$9b4e6d93@newsspool4.arcor-online.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: static-69-95-181-76.mad.choiceone.net X-Trace: jacob-sparre.dk 1213242190 13856 69.95.181.76 (12 Jun 2008 03:43:10 GMT) X-Complaints-To: news@jacob-sparre.dk NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 03:43:10 +0000 (UTC) X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.5512 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5512 X-RFC2646: Format=Flowed; Original Xref: g2news1.google.com comp.lang.ada:664 Date: 2008-06-11T22:04:29-05:00 List-Id: "Ludovic Brenta" wrote in message news:df8603e3-f095-416b-acc3-f15f128cbc71@d1g2000hsg.googlegroups.com... > This discussion and the related points made in "Access procedure to > pointer" make me wonder how people who are now knowledgeable in Ada > learned the language. I was given an Ada subset as the language to implement for the compiler construction class at the University of Wisconsin (this was the 1980-81 school year). At the time, I didn't know the language at all, and I don't think I did much programming in it the first year or so. We gradually expanded the subset (and moved the compiler to early PCs); I probably didn't really appreciate the eligance or advanced features until much later. After the first year, we ported the compiler into its own subset, and then I really learned how to program well in it. There weren't any books at the time (or we couldn't afford them - college students starting a business don't have much money - I recall that my 1982 income was $2400). I read some of the early textbooks later, and we used to sell copies of the Pyle book with the compiler. (Aside: Eventually, we created our own textbook and matching video tape with Geoff Gilpin. The video tape tried to inject some humor into the talking heads approach of the other tapes we'd seen. Unfortunately, it nearly got Geoff killed. In the introduction to "exception handling", Geoff asked what would happen if a program divided by zero. What happened was that a Wile E. Coyote-style 10-ton weight fell onto Geoff and his computer. Of course, the prop was hollow so it covered him up completely. The first time they tried the scene, the thing floated down like a parachute. So they scrounged around the studio and came up with some weights to put on top of it. The next take, the thing came down with a bang and the wood frame shattered - leaving a nail a couple of inches from Geoff's forehead. I would have hated to have to explain that injury to the worker's compensation people... ;-) [However, that take looks great and was the one used on the final tape.] Humm, it would be nice to transcribe those from VHS tape to something digital, even though they would be much use these days (they're geared toward Ada 83 on MS-DOS). Could put them on our website or something.) Randy.