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update the introductory programming language essay
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shlomif committed Jan 6, 2025
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Programming Languages</title>
</info>

<section xml:id="linda_mciver_approach"><info><title>Linda McIver’s Thesis Approach</title></info>
<section xml:id="linda_mciver_approach">

<info><title>Linda McIver’s Thesis Approach</title></info>

<para>
<link xlink:href="http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~lindap/">Linda
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</section>
</section>

<section xml:id="verdict"><info><title>My Verdict</title></info>
<section xml:id="verdict">

<info><title>My Verdict</title></info>

<para>
According to these constraints one can conclude that one should
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<info><title>Final Verdict</title></info>

<para>
All things considered, I’d say that Perl is the best choice now,
as Python is too strict and unexpressive, and Ruby is documented
in an extremely inadequate way. Again, any of the three languages
would be a fine choice, and all of them should be learned by
any programmer who is worth his weight in salt.
All things considered, I’d say that Python is the best choice now,
as Perl’s scope is larger, and is less consistent, and Ruby is also
less consistent, and fell out of favour from the software
developers’ community. Again, any of the three languages would be a
fine choice, and all of them should be learned by any programmer
who is worth his weight in salt.
</para>
<para>
Note that other than the main players in the dynamic language
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</para>
</footnote>.
</para>

</section>

</section>
<section xml:id="types_of_teaching"><info><title>Some Types of Teaching</title></info>

<section xml:id="types_of_teaching">

<info><title>Some Types of Teaching</title></info>

<para>
There are several different types of teaching programming to laymen.
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probably doesn’t. However, it influences the way the language should
be taught and which parts of it should be taught first.
</para>

</section>
<section xml:id="conclusion"><info><title>Conclusion</title></info>

<section xml:id="conclusion">

<info><title>Conclusion</title></info>

<para> I talked with a few people on the IRC about it and some of them told
me something along the lines of “What makes you think that you know
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</para>
<para>
So my opinion still remains: Perl, Python or Ruby are the best
languages for introducing non-programmers to programming, while Perl
is the best, and Python is probably still the worst of the three.
languages for introducing non-programmers to programming, while Python
is the best, and Ruby is probably still the worst of the three.
However, note that any decent programming training will introduce his
developers to more than one language, and a prospective programmer
should not worry if he started out with a language that I consider
sub-optimal. With good ambition and motivation and with the right
attitude (“I know that I do not know”), one can become a better and
better programmer regardless of his initial background.
</para>

</section>
<section xml:id="other_good_food_for_thought"><info><title>Other Good Food for Thought about Teaching</title></info>

<section xml:id="other_good_food_for_thought">

<info><title>Other Good Food for Thought about Teaching</title></info>

<para>
This section will bring other good for thought about teaching.
</para>
<section xml:id="live_learn"><info><title>“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to

<section xml:id="live_learn">

<info><title>“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to
live forever.”</title></info>

<para>
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different ways.
</para>
</section>
<section xml:id="three_levels_of_learning"><info><title>Three Levels of Learning</title></info>

<section xml:id="three_levels_of_learning">

<info><title>Three Levels of Learning</title></info>

<para>
Rabbi Hanina used to say “I learned a lot from my teachers, and
Rabbi Hanina used to say <quote>I learned a lot from my teachers, and
from my friends more than my teachers, and from my pupils the
most.” I believe this means that there are in fact
most.</quote> I believe this means that there are in fact
three levels of learning:
</para>

<orderedlist inheritnum="ignore" continuation="restarts">
<listitem>
<para>
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</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>

<para>
Perhaps there’s a fourth level -
<emphasis role="bold">Science</emphasis> in which the knowledge
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production) and better yet teach it to someone else.
</para>
<para>
The old adage “He who can - does. He who cannot - teaches.” which
The old adage <quote>He who can - does. He who cannot - teaches.</quote> which
was
<link xlink:href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Bernard_Shaw">said
by George Bernard Shaw</link> is amusing, but simply not
true, as I’ve demonstrated here. Being a great teacher is much more
difficult than being a great doer, and is much more enlightening.
<footnote xml:id="those_who_can_footnote" label="those_who_can">
<para>
What is true, in my opinion. is that “Those who can - do.
Those who can’t - complain.” However, often people who can
What is true, in my opinion. is that <quote>Those who can - do.
Those who can’t - complain.</quote> However, often people who can
and do, still complain. I recall this quote being
attributed to
<link xlink:href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus_Torvalds">Linus
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</para>
</footnote>
</para>

</section>
<section xml:id="learn_many_languages"><info><title>Learn as Many Languages as Possible</title></info>

<section xml:id="learn_many_languages">

<info><title>Learn as Many Languages as Possible</title></info>

<para>
Learning one computer language is not enough. Knowledge of only
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enlightening</link>, and I recommend programmers to learn
at least all of them.
</para>

</section>
<section xml:id="learning_to_read_and_enhance"><info><title>Learning How to Read Code and Enhance Existing Code</title></info>

<section xml:id="learning_to_read_and_enhance">

<info><title>Learning How to Read Code and Enhance Existing Code</title></info>

<para>
At present, universities and other spend most time teaching
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it up.
</para>
</section>

</section>
<section xml:id="thanks"><info><title>Thanks</title></info>

<section xml:id="thanks">

<info><title>Thanks</title></info>

<para>
Thanks to Pete_I on Freenode,
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Jonathan Scott Duff, Sagiv Barhoom and others for reviewing
early drafts of this essay and giving some editorial assistance.
</para>

</section>

</article>

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