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From: Robert A Duff <bobduff@shell01.TheWorld.com>
Subject: Re: Why is Ada NOT a good choice for a beginner to programming?
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faust <urfaust@optushome.com.au> writes:

> Remember what Dijkstra said:
> 
> "It is practically impossible to teach good programming style to
> students that have had prior exposure to BASIC; as potential
> programmers they are mentally mutilated beyond hope of regeneration."
> ( Professor Edsger Dijkstra )

I don't much like Dijkstra's style.  I mean, if you're trying to
convince someone who only knows BASIC that there are better languages,
the above hyperbole would just annoy the person.  If usenet had existed,
it would start a silly flame war.  (Didn't Dijkstra's also say teaching
BASIC should require a prison sentence?  Or was that some other
language?  I used to think it was a pretty clever way of speaking.)

It's also the case that BASIC has changed a lot since he said that.
Or should I say, BASICs, plural?  ;-)

One should learn *many* programming languages, if one is serious about
programming.  But one should not start with BASIC (or C, or assembly).

- Bob