Re: Required common programming language

["James W. Wheeler" <jwheeler@eagle.lhup.edu>]

Why not ask what we would require of the language.  Here's my list:

1.  Structure-
	independent subroutines
	good branching
	well formed loop statements
	Arrays
	Comments

2.  Simple I/O

3.  Simple Graphics commands!

(4. Decent Price!)

I happen to like True BASIC.  It does not (to the extent of my knowledge),
however, have strong variable typing, the ability to pass subroutine names
as variables, global variables, variable array dimensioning, or the
ability to pass a variable to a subroutine as a value rather than a
location. These are all nice things to have for big projects, but
introductory projects are usually small.  I find the need for quick
pretty graphics which encourage the student to be compelling.

Rex Berney (U.Dayton) once told me that 50% of all programs ever written
were in BASIC.  

Should/can everyone learn to think linearly?  
Should/can everyone learn to think in parallel?


On Tue, 13 Jan 1998, Richard Grandy wrote:

> Well here is a good chance to see whether we have any consensus.  Suppose
> we are voting on which programming langauge ALL students learn in
> elementary school, that we have the power to mandate this choice to all
> school systems and the funds to empower them to actually teach it,  so that
> we can build on that knowledge later.  Do you vote for  Basic, Pascal,
> Java, C+, ...
>
>
>
> Richard Grandy
> Philosopher Gadfly
> Rice University
> Houston  TX  77096
>
> At 8:03 PM -0800 1/13/98, Leigh Palmer wrote:
> > > In this particular case, Larry, the situation is not in the lack of an
> > > agreement. Most science teachers would agree that having one common
> > > simple language would be desirable. We lack a mechanism for turning
> > > a dream into a reality. Something is not right somewhere.
> >
> > Larry's right about taste, however. There's no pleasing everybody in
> > the matter of languages. Two of my children learned APL as their first
> > computer language. Imagine trying to sell *that* one to the masses!
> >
> > Leigh