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From: doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee)
Newsgroups: net.cse
Subject: Re: More on Math and CS
Message-ID: <1085@terak.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Mar-86 13:04:01 EST
Article-I.D.: terak.1085
Posted: Mon Mar 10 13:04:01 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Mar-86 04:27:53 EST
References: <6350@cca.UUCP> <6420@cca.UUCP> <1074@terak.UUCP> <147@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Organization: Calcomp Display Products Division, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Lines: 29

> What most professional programmers do,
> as far as I can tell, is take some vague requirements, re-tread the only
> data structure they know, and piece an algorithm together, all without any
> regard to any kind of software engineering practice.

What kind of software engineering practice is taught in CS curricula
that is both   a) of value in practical programming in more than a
limited field, and  b) not something that a person is likely to pick
up on his own?

I whole-heartedly agree that many (most?) professional programmers are
terribly weak on designing appropriate data structures.  So there's
one point.  But I can't think of another.

> Almost everything on the list is only useful for various applications.
> ... People who don't have any interest in computing theory
> can also despense with all the related math...

But "Computing theory" isn't programming.  If a person has an interest
in computing theory, then he is interested in a career in Computer
Science, not a career in programming.

This further illustrates my contention that a Computer Science degree
does not prepare a person for a career in programming, any more than a
Math degree prepares him for a career in accounting.

[Anyone for the notion of a Software Engineering curriculum and degree?]
-- 
Doug Pardee -- CalComp -- {hardy,savax,seismo,decvax,ihnp4}!terak!doug