Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!hao!oddjob!gargoyle!ihnp4!inuxc!iuvax!emo
From: emo@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu
Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc
Subject: Re: First Languages (yet again)
Message-ID: <8200001@iuvax>
Date: 2 Mar 88 05:47:00 GMT
References: <4022@ames.arpa>
Organization: Indiana University CSCI, Bloomington
Lines: 46
Nf-ID: #R:ames.arpa:4022:iuvax:8200001:000:2141
Nf-From: iuvax.cs.indiana.edu!emo    Mar  2 00:47:00 1988


   

To offer some more information: Lisp has been ``around'' since
the '50s as well.  In fact, I have often heard that Lisp is
second only to FORTRAN in being the oldest (high-level) language.

And, as ``oz'' mentions, Scheme can contribute to a ``turning
point'' in one's education...  The first language that I learned
was UCI Lisp running on a DEC-10 (access was via a 300 baud
phone link... and I thought that was reasonable at the time, ~'79)...
then came Pascal... then some assembler (6809 variety)... then
I learned Scheme...  C (and Unix) followed shortly.
What can be said of this chaotic learning strategy?... I would
have to say that personally, the high points were UCI Lisp
(being the first introduction to computing) and Scheme (being
the first time I really understood the ideas behind structural
design and the power of abstraction).  For several reasons
learning C was important too, but the foundations had already
been constructed upon the pillars of Lisp/Scheme.
Knowing what I do today, I would say without hesitation, that
Scheme is an excellent choice for a first language... 

In ending, I'd like to restate what someone has said previously:
programming languages are tools, a means to affect solutions
to problems in the ``real world''.  However, there is such a 
thing as ``style''... with the ease and pleasure that one
ascribes to the task of programming depending to a large extent
on one's understanding of the tool(s) being used as well as the
problem domain.  By utilizing a clean structure initially,
e.g. Scheme with its clean semantics, one is able to build a 
more stable foundation upon which to base the development and
understanding of programming methodologies, as well as the
theories behind them.

Are there any other people who have formed similar conclusions
about Scheme?

eric

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
Eric Ost		     CSnet:   emo@indiana
Computer Science Dept.       Usenet:  emo@iuvax
Indiana University           Arpanet: emo@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu
Bloomington, Indiana 47405
(812)-335-5561
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;