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From: gwl@rruxa.UUCP (George W. Leach)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: first languages
Message-ID: <296@rruxa.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Aug-87 10:08:08 EDT
Article-I.D.: rruxa.296
Posted: Wed Aug 26 10:08:08 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Aug-87 06:02:25 EDT
References: <405@ndsuvax.UUCP> <1010@argus.UUCP> <290@rruxa.UUCP> <2575@ames.arpa>
Organization: Bell Communications Research
Lines: 39
Summary: Problems with Pascal

In article <2575@ames.arpa>, lamaster@pioneer.UUCP writes:
> 
>   [Stuff deleted.....]
> Pascal is woefully inadequate
> as a modular language, and has many counterintuitive features that are
> artifacts of its origins on systems where the paramount goal was a small
> memory, very fast, very simple compiler.
>
       I for one find that specifying the main procedure as the last
component in the program and specifying procedure/function declarations
prior to their usage is awkward when one is trying to teach top-down
decomposition!  I realize that some strains of Pascal have forward
referencing and/or seperate compilation, but for the introductory
student something simple is required.  I understand the original
concept of a single pass compiler dictated this convention.  In the
days when I ran my own deck of cards through the card reader and
waited for the output I could see this, but with PC-based compilers
I don't.

> 
> 
>   Hugh LaMaster, m/s 233-9,  UUCP {seismo,topaz,lll-crg,ucbvax}!
>   NASA Ames Research Center                ames!pioneer!lamaster
>   Moffett Field, CA 94035    ARPA lamaster@ames-pioneer.arpa
>   Phone:  (415)694-6117      ARPA lamaster@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov
> 

George W. Leach

Bell Communications Research      New Jersey Institute of Technology 
444 Hoes Lane       4A-1129       Computer & Information Sciences Dept.
Piscataway,  New Jersey   08854   Newark, New Jersey   07102
(201) 699-8639

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