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From: adaworks@netcom.com (AdaWorks)
Subject: Re: Comparison of languages for CS1 and CS2
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Matthew Kennel (mbk@caffeine.engr.utk.edu) wrote:
: Bill Stockwell (ws@aix1.ucok.edu) wrote:

: Outside of pure mathematics, "proving" things with logical deduction
: in subjects with little empirically tested underpinning is just plain
: wallowing in one's biases. 

  Sighhhh. Sadly, even "pure" mathematics is sometimes slightly soiled.
  Check out the work of Kurt Goedel.  Apologies for the missing umlaut.

  Whether the topic is Ada, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Sather,  or C++,
  we do our students a disservice when we incorporate adjectives such as
  "pure" into our discussion of programming languages. 

  IMNSHO, the more programming languages a student knows, the better 
  prepared that student will be for real-world projects. 

  In spite of the illusion that C++ dominates the market, it continues to
  have a lower penetration in organizations that actually construct
  software than COBOL and FORTRAN.  And both of those languages are being 
  updated to satisfy the demands of emerging notions of software practice. 
  In spite of the glitz and glamor of object-oriented this-and-that, most 
  organizations continue to move slowly in adopting new technologies.   

  It is not guaranteed that C++ will rule the world.  It is difficult to
  use, just as dangerous as C, encourages cryptic syntax, and does not map 
  well to many of the kinds of day-to-day programming problems that 
  people need to solve in  business data processing. Its appeal to academics
  tends to make it seem more popular that it really is.  Many organizations
  that build information systems continue to view C++ with some suspicion.

  I'm not sure what language the banks and insurance companies will be using 
  over the next ten years, but it will be probably be called COBOL, to
  paraphrase Dijkstra.

  Richard Riehle

-- 
                                             adaworks@netcom.com
