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From: mlc@iberia.cca.rockwell.com (Michael Cook)
Subject: Re: Comparison of languages for CS1 and CS2
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Date: Fri, 14 Jul 1995 19:31:18 GMT
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In article <3u602v$ao9@source.asset.com>, bishopm@source.asset.com (Michael M. Bishop) writes:
>From: bishopm@source.asset.com (Michael M. Bishop)
>Newsgroups: comp.edu,comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.modula2,comp.lang.scheme
>Subject: Re: Comparison of languages for CS1 and CS2
>Date: 14 Jul 1995 10:47:59 -0400
>Organization: Asset Source for Software Engineering Technology
>
>In article <bob-1107951224410001@comp_ctr245.sonoma.edu>,
>Robert G. Plantz <bob@cs.sonoma.edu> wrote:
>>In article <3tufen$ohn@natasha.rmii.com>, mike@if.com (Mr.H) wrote:
>>> as a starting point... I code professionally in C and I've seen alot
>>> of C++, the syntax still screws me up periodically (not to mention
>>
>>But, isn't that a good reason to start with C/C++ early? The only way
>>to learn about the fine points is to use the language a lot over a long
>>period of time. The goal, I think, is to get to a point where the
>>syntax is natural, so it does not screw you up.
>
>No. it's actually a bad reason to start with C/C++ early. In CS1/CS2
>courses, the goal is to give students a broad, high-level background in
>programming languages so that they can learn how to use those languages
>to develop and express algorithms. If a student is bogged down in the
>cryptic syntax of a language such as C/C++ (if a professional software
>developer can occasionally have trouble with the syntax as indicated 
>above, imagine how much trouble a student might have), he/she will miss 
>out on what needs to be learned.
>-- 
>| Mike Bishop              | The opinions expressed here reflect    |
>| bishopm@source.asset.com | those of this station, its management, |
>| Member: Team Ada         | and the entire world.                  |


Mr. Bishop is correct.  See L.F. Johnson's article
"C in the First Course Considered Harmful",
in the Technical Opinion section of the May 1995 Communications of the
ACM (v.38, n.5, pp.99-101)

Michael Cook
MLC@IBERIA.CCA.ROCKWELL.COM
These are not the opinions of my employer.

Post in haste, repent in leisure.

