🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <168489C6A.SDENARO@vm.poly.edu>, SDENARO@vm.poly.edu writes:
>
> Why is everyone Pascal bashing?
>  

Pascal has fallen out of favor for various reasons, none of which have
anything to do with its suitability as a teaching tool.  I learned
a great deal of what I know about structured programming by programming
in Pascal.  However, since then, I have only once had to go anywhere
near Pascal for a real project, and that was only to patch someone
else's code.  This is probably typical.  Pascal is not considered to
be a "serious" language anymore, just like BASIC.

I believe that more can be learned about programming by becoming multi-lingual
than by focusing on one language.  Pascal is as good a next step from Logo as
any other.  The student can take what can be learned from Pascal about
programming and use it to shape what has already been learned from Logo.  Each
additional language learned augments what the student already knows.

The choice of Pascal over any other language as a starting language is a
personal one.  Not everyone may benefit from the Pascal experience as much as I
did.  Some people would rather go learn C or assembler because they are closer
to the machine.  Some people would rather learn Visual BASIC or ProGraph
because they are visually oriented.  And so on.  There is no objectively
correct next step.  So don't take other people's word for it.  They will fight
for whatever language turns their crank.  If it is possible, give the student a
broad overview of languages by allowing them to work on projects with those who
already are competent in each language and let them choose their personal
favourite to focus in on.  This, after all, is more in keeping with the Logo
philosophy of learning.

Ben.
---
Ben Armstrong, Software Development                  bus: (902)422-1973
Dymaxion Research Ltd.,                              fax: (902)421-1267
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3J 1R2            Internet: bg@dymaxion.ns.ca