Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!inesc!fmhv From: fmhv@inesc.UUCP (Fernando Manuel Hourtiguet de Vasconcelos) Newsgroups: comp.object Subject: Re: Teaching an Object-Oriented Pro Summary: Agree on the use of Smalltalk as a first OO language ( and environment ... ) Message-ID: <755@inesc.UUCP> Date: 24 Sep 90 15:20:49 GMT References: <90@ <77500057@m.cs.uiuc.edu> Organization: INESC - Inst. Eng. Sistemas e Computadores, LISBOA. PORTUGAL. Lines: 43 In article , brucec@phoebus.phoebus.labs.tek.com (Bruce Cohen;;50-662;LP=A;) writes: > In article <77500057@m.cs.uiuc.edu> johnson@m.cs.uiuc.edu writes: > > > > I like to use Smalltalk to teach object-oriented programming because > > the class library makes a great set of examples. The programming > > environment makes programming fun, which always helps a class. On the > > other hand, lots of other o-o languages come with good class libraries > > and a nice programming environment. Unfortunately, C++ is not one of > > them. > > > > There's an additional reason for learning the basics of OOP from Smalltalk > (or rather, not from C++): the model is clean and easy to see and > understand. Everything is an object; there aren't any special cases, and > there isn't a lot of hairy syntax. > > I learned Smalltalk first, so that when I came to C++ I understood the > basic concepts, and could concentrate on learning the complexities of the > language. [... text deleted ] In agree entirely with Bruce's view on the subject, having followed exactly the same path ( Smalltalk -> C++ ). The two main things that I liked in Smalltalk ( as a concept learning language - I mean the OO paradigm ) were: - The model being so clean ( everthing is an object ... ) - The environment itself wich procteted me of the machine details that are not relevant when trying to learn a new concept. I mean by this questions like: how to compile, which editor to use .... This two reasons ( specially the last one ) make me think that Smalltalk is the ideal language to teach the OO paradigm, because pupils will concentrate on the language and it's concepts. ( Eventualy they would not have to know which OS they working with :-) ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fernando Vasconcelos INESC - Intituto de Engenharia de fmhv@inesc.inesc.pt Sistemas e Computadores mcsun!inesc!fmhv@uunet.uu.net Rua Alves Redol No 9 Tel: +351(1)545150 Ext. 216 1017 Lisboa CODEX - Portugal Fax: +351(1)525843 Sala 208