RE: Programming?

[Adam Williams <adam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 From          : klug>klug-request
 To            : adam
 Subject       : RE: Programming?
 Date          : 12/01/99 09:45


>I would never suggest anyone start with C/C++.  Why you ask?  Pointers.
>Pointers are inherently dangerous, difficult for beginners, and used all
>over the place in C(++).  My favorite 'learning' languages are as follows:

Pointers are "bad", but their also part of regular life in the
programming world.  It's better, IMHO, to just jump in with both feet.

>Pascal - Practically useless, but easy to pick up and will teach you
>valuable skills

It's now called Delphi, and far from gone.  Delphi is becomming very popular
in the Linux community.  And if it is anything like the Borland product I
used to use, there is a good reason.

>Perl - Safer than C, very useful.  The 50 ways to skin the cat may confuse
>beginners

I think this is a very bad place to learn programming, it does not enforce
strict type checking, etc...  A beginner needs to struggle with these
thing,  and then in more "loose" environments, he understands to police
himself.~