The right programming language to teach...
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Yeah, QBasic is available for download, even from programmersheaven.com The following statement about your geekness is true. The previous statement about your geekness is false. GCS/IT/P d- s: a- C++++$ UL+>++++ P+ L++$ E- W+++$ N !o K+ w++$ O---- M-- PS- PE Y+ PGP--- t !5 X- tv b+++ DI++ D+ G++ e++ h--- r+++
Cool! I know a 6-year old who has her own computer and is just about ready to learn how to program:-) Thanks for the tip! Word of the day: Rotundacrat
Extra Credit will be awarded for: Quasimobo... -
Yes, this is a programming question, technically. But I think it falls within the bounds of "lounge-acceptable programming questions," so don't hang me from the ceiling by my fingernails or anything like that, please :). Anyways, someone at my school is interested in computer science, and would be interested in learning from me. Normally, I'd be annoyed and brush people like this off because, frankly, most people in real life annoy me, but in this case it's an extremely intelligent and fun-to-be-with female, so... :-D The reason I'm asking is because I'm not sure what language to teach her. Normally, I'd work people up through XHTML, JavaScript, and CSS before letting them touch C++ or C#, but in this case I think she may be able to handle the jump straight to something more exciting. She's computer-literate, and knows how to use all normal apps (Word, IE, computer games, etc.) to their full extent, but doesn't know anything about programming at all. So what I'm really asking is, do you think a highly intelligent and computer-literate person can make the jump straight to C++ or C#, or is it too much of a stretch to introduce high-level programming concepts without some basic introduction to the idea of code, input, output, etc.? Yet, most of web technologies and concepts are inapplicable to programming (i.e. the lenience of browsers, the lack of compilers, the lack of source and executable files, etc.). I dunno, really, that's why I want your opinions. Secondly, if C++/C# is a good idea, then which one? I was leaning towards C#, mainly because it's easier to use (no pointers, better intuitive syntax (IMO), etc.), you can create GUIs easily (I was always extremely dissapointed at how GUIs were never part of C++ per se, simply part of supplied libraries), and it's not VB.NET (;P). However, C++ also has good points, because it's more complex—if you can handle all of C++, you can handle everything—and it's the industry standard that's also tought in our school's CompSci class. I'm not really considering any other languages, mainly because both of these suit me just fine. So which would be better to teach, assuming she could handle either one? In either case, VS.NET will be the development environment, FYI. And remember, I'm not trying to start a holy war over language preference (again). I'm trying to get a measured and useful opinion on these questions, because all I know is that in fifth grade I learned how to make a website and moved on to C++ that same year, and all I used were
To put it another way, teaching programming is not about syntax; it's about thinking. If a person can't understand what keywords are or what calling a function is, it doesn't matter what language you use. However, since you have to pick one, I'd go with C++ since it allows you to start very easy and get progressively harder without having to switch languages. Moreover, they will be learning a marketable skill. You don't have to get into OOP right away. You can start with jut main, extend that to functions, etc. I wouldn't even introduce "cout <<" for a while. All programmers should know how to use puts and printf. (And some of us never use cout.) (If you teach C++ correctly, I believe you will find students beginning to ask questions for which OOP will be the answer. Of course, there will still be those students who can't get over why they can't call "main" "MyProgram". Frankly, they should be encouraged to do something else.) As for nuance, programming is first, and foremost, a discipline. To be a good programming in any language requires you understand the nuances and deal with them in a disciplined thoughtful manner.
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Yes, this is a programming question, technically. But I think it falls within the bounds of "lounge-acceptable programming questions," so don't hang me from the ceiling by my fingernails or anything like that, please :). Anyways, someone at my school is interested in computer science, and would be interested in learning from me. Normally, I'd be annoyed and brush people like this off because, frankly, most people in real life annoy me, but in this case it's an extremely intelligent and fun-to-be-with female, so... :-D The reason I'm asking is because I'm not sure what language to teach her. Normally, I'd work people up through XHTML, JavaScript, and CSS before letting them touch C++ or C#, but in this case I think she may be able to handle the jump straight to something more exciting. She's computer-literate, and knows how to use all normal apps (Word, IE, computer games, etc.) to their full extent, but doesn't know anything about programming at all. So what I'm really asking is, do you think a highly intelligent and computer-literate person can make the jump straight to C++ or C#, or is it too much of a stretch to introduce high-level programming concepts without some basic introduction to the idea of code, input, output, etc.? Yet, most of web technologies and concepts are inapplicable to programming (i.e. the lenience of browsers, the lack of compilers, the lack of source and executable files, etc.). I dunno, really, that's why I want your opinions. Secondly, if C++/C# is a good idea, then which one? I was leaning towards C#, mainly because it's easier to use (no pointers, better intuitive syntax (IMO), etc.), you can create GUIs easily (I was always extremely dissapointed at how GUIs were never part of C++ per se, simply part of supplied libraries), and it's not VB.NET (;P). However, C++ also has good points, because it's more complex—if you can handle all of C++, you can handle everything—and it's the industry standard that's also tought in our school's CompSci class. I'm not really considering any other languages, mainly because both of these suit me just fine. So which would be better to teach, assuming she could handle either one? In either case, VS.NET will be the development environment, FYI. And remember, I'm not trying to start a holy war over language preference (again). I'm trying to get a measured and useful opinion on these questions, because all I know is that in fifth grade I learned how to make a website and moved on to C++ that same year, and all I used were
For many, I would suggest english ;P Elainie (fluffy tigress emoticon) Would you like to meet my teddy bear ?