Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!cernvax!chx400!ethz!mrys
From: mrys@ethz.UUCP (Michael Rys)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc
Subject: Re: introductory language
Message-ID: <4147@ethz.UUCP>
Date: 9 Apr 90 12:45:06 GMT
References: <7300008@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> <5978@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU>
Reply-To: mrys@bernina.ethz.ch.UUCP (Michael Rys)
Organization: ETH Zuerich, Switzerland
Lines: 40

In article <7300008@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> cs290ac@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu writes:

>I'm looking for opinions on what languages people think should
>be taught as introduction to programming for both CS majors and
>non-CS majors.  My initial opinions are C for CS majors because
>of its popularity, and its low-level programming characteristics.
>

DON'T go with C if you want to teach CS. I would propose the following 

1. If you take a functional approach take: Scheme or ML
2. If you take a procedural approach:
   2.1 Teach them Dijkstra's Method of constructing programs using
       predicate calculus and invariant. This keeps you independent
       of machines, languages etc.
   2.2 Take any of : Pascal, Modula-2, Oberon
       I wouldn't take C or Ada (too complex for beginners).

This is for CS students. If you want to teach non-CS students I
would either go for Modula-2, Pascal or Lisp, APL (still great for
Mathematics).

Other languages you might look at: Icon, Eiffel

If you want to get programmers for a job or a specific company, go and
take C or any other language.

And don't forget a good textbook, since CS is not only programming!!!

Cheers.../Michael

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