3 Jan
2012
3 Jan
'12
2:11 a.m.
On 02/01/12 6:33 PM, Fred Cisin wrote:
On Mon, 2 Jan 2012, dwight elvey wrote:
Well, there is the "small" problem that BASIC syntax, data types, and
control structures relate poorly to modern languages and even less to
powerful abstractions. There's not such a huge distance between Fortran
and BASIC!
What's wrong with Scheme? Or at worst, Python? At least the kids
learning today might learn something that still serves them in 10, 20
years. It's not like the world is moving back towards BASIC...
While BASIC is good for a starting language it
is not the first
language I'd bring up on a machine unless it had already been
setup on that machine.
I'd bring up Forth. One can get the console in and out running
first. One can then easily experiment with the disk IO until
it is working right.
The source is available and easy to understand.
Once one has a good understanding, bringing up other
languages is trivial.
Damn good points.
I consider BASIC to be an excellent beginner's introduction to
"what is a program?", etc., so long as they are exposed to other
languages immediately after grasping the basic principles. C,
for wxample, is the Systems Programming "language of choice",
but as somebody's very first exposure to programming, it will
teach them more about what their frustration tolerance level is
than about programming. Once PAST that initial exposure stage,
C is excellent.
As long as they drop it like a hot potato when they realise they're not
doing "systems programming".
--Toby
Although I don't speak a word of Forth, other than once having
read Brodie's book ("Starting Forth"), it seems ideal for working
with mastering the issues of getting a software structure to connect
with the hardware.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin at xenosoft.com