Fwd: Re: [NCLUG] Looking at programming languages...

[grant at amadensor.com]

----- Forwarded message from grant at amadensor.com -----
     Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:37:55 +0000
     From: grant at amadensor.com
Reply-To: grant at amadensor.com
  Subject: Re: [NCLUG] Looking at programming languages...
       To: dann frazier <dannf at dannf.org>

Quoting dann frazier <dannf at dannf.org>:

> On Wed, Jan 16, 2008 at 12:54:02PM -0700, Sean Rees wrote:
>> I agree wholeheartedly with you that while there is no shortage of
>> incredibly difficult Perl to read, there is no reason that Perl code
>> can't be written with the clarity of almost any other language.
>
My issues with PERL are the built in variables related to regular
expressions are easy to get the wrong one, and that there are very
similar syntaxes that do very different things, for instance, boolean
of whether or not a string contains a regex, and using a regex to
modify a string in place, and setting one string to a the results of a
regex filter on another string.

I have written PERL, and maintained it over many years, and agree that
it can be written to be clear, it is just that it lends itself to
making unreadable code, and I don't want to do that to a n00b.

Remember, I am looking for something to fill two very different
purposes, I need to write a real system, and in the same tool,
introduce people to programming.   The reason I want a real language
rather than something like MIX is that I find it beneficial to show
something practical, then the theory behind it.   The theory without
ever seeing it work is very hard to really grasp.

I intend to work with the very young (under 10) on this, and use a few
test cases to flesh out a book on how to program for kids.   I started
very young, and I think it is beneficial for kids to understand that
unless they know how to program, they are just casting magical
incantations, and do not really know what the machine is doing.   It
is also important to realize that unless you can program, you do not
own your machine or your data, you are just renting it.


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