[ILUG] introduction to programming

[Bryan O'Donoghue]

kevin lyda wrote:
> On Wed, May 25, 2005 at 02:26:47PM +0100, Braun Brelin wrote:
> 
>>I was.  Unlucky enough, that is.
> 
> 
> ouch.  i tried using it on vms but found it far too painful.

You know, sometimes people seem to get very non-Spock about these things...

I think it's highly suspect to claim that there is one, all embracing
doubleplusgood language... out there... that is *obviously* appropiate
for elucidating /newbies/ amorphously, perhaps I'm wrong... I'd doubt
I'd have the patience to *impart* information to people..

Moreover, even though Python is popular right *now* and BASIC isn't...
BASIC has been around since the 1960s... and when we dispell with the
reflexive (it's too close to VB and noone likes Microsoft) it is...
well... basic, so perhaps not a *bad* place to start people off at...

For example if a programming language was named
"ReallyReallyDifficult"... I'd question it's appropiateness, for
exposure to newbies....

That said... if one dispels, specialist languages like SQL, or prolog
and lists a common domain of languages, C, C++, Assembler, BASIC, Java,
Perl, PHP, Python, Cyclone, (Pascal ? this is C-like is it not?)...  and
one wishes to accomplish 90% of real world programming tasks, I can't
see any clear real reason to use one over another.. depending on what
your objectives are and what features you really need.

Sure... Assembler might let you influence a special purpose register, on
a particular Embedded system, that you simply can't accomplish in C...
or non memory managed languages mightn't be *ideal* for use in providing
dynamic web content...

If the goal is to understand code design, modularity, implementation of
OO (without relying on a language that is specifically OO), code review,
correct error checking... code colocation, scoping, prototyping,
efficienty, and functionality... I don't see how, aside from the obvious
disjoinable 'specific' languages, that any *one* language is
demonstrably *more* appropiate then another...

I'd like to think I have enough objective logic to recognise that my own
language *preferences* are *preferences*... as opposed to ethereal
edicts in "what's the most appropiate language" for everybody on the
planet... for all time.

Which is why I have such a hard time believing Python, is such a quantum
leap, from say... C, or Java... or PHP.... or when we drop alot of the
fire brands... even BASIC.

If you can write good Java code... I'd wonder, why you couldn't write
good BASIC code... if you understand code design and implementation and
you are good at it... how does it matter if these skills are learned in
BASIC, C, Java, Assembler or Python ?

Indeed if you are a super-hero like coder... what's to stop you
implementing project-x... in the following ?

http://www.muppetlabs.com/~breadbox/bf/




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