🚀 go-pugleaf

Ron Leisti (rleisti@sentex.net) wrote:
: In his article, R Shapiro Wrote:

: >And you can't understand the "advanced" features of C until you've
: >manually set bits in hardware with toggle switches, right? Therefore every
: >new programmer should start by programming in machine language -- yeah,
: >that's a *great* way to teach modern principles of programming...

:   I totaly agree.  C++ is quickly becoming a more popular programming 
: language than C.  For instance, how many of the popular compilers out 
: there are supporting only ANSI C?

	His comments you quoted have absolutely nothing to do with
popularity of a language.

:   OOP is a superior *style* of programming than traditional C, and is 
: easier to debug, test, and maintain.  This could save a beginner a 
: considerable amount of time, and frustration.  So wouldn't it just be 
: easier to learn one language, and one concept, then be set for life?

	OOP is a method, style,  and organizational tool for programmers.
C is a language.  You can't compare style and sytax.  What you meant
to say was "C++ offers tools to approach a superior style of pro-
gramming than traditional C".

	I would argue that C++ offers more trapping of errors,  but that
both are equally difficult to debug.  Learning C++ also involves
learning a new concept if the tools C++ provides are to be impli-
mented to their full potential.  Thus,  a new programmer,  while
adapting quickly to the syntax,  may find him/herself overwhelmed
with methodologies and techniques.  Set for life?  I think there is
another thread called "Producing competant CS grads."  Check it out.
You'll find near the end of the thread (last 15 messages,  perhaps) that
the concensus leans towards a wide variety of skills being required
to survive in the real-world.  Lets not carry that one on here.



Derek Douville
Technology Support Services
Cognos Help Desk, Ottawa