in defense of Pascal

[Andre Garzia]

Aum Sadhunthan,

I also learned programming with PASCAL, it was Turbo Pascal with it's
yellow on black interface that got me into programming. I remember
creating dice rollers for my RPG stuff when I was a kid...

:D

On Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 10:29 PM, Sadhunathan
Nadesan<sadhu at sddev.castandcrew.com> wrote:
>
>> Here in Plovdiv they teach High School kids PASCAL, which is, unless you
>> are some sort of retro-geek, a major turn-off. I shall, very shortly,
>> become a "pusher" for RR, and be trotting round the school giving demos
>> of just what can be done.
>
>
> Alternate point of view:
>
> I love Pascal.  Just like those high school kids, it was the first
> language I was taught.  It enforces excellent habits such as strong typing
> which then carry over into other languages.  Great teaching language,
> and if you study the work of Nickolas Wirth, such as "Algorithms +
> Data Structures = Programs" (if memory serves) you will appreciate it's
> elegence and power for recursion, for exmple.  It also has great string
> handling routines, as does Rev.  Much better to learn Pascal before
> studying C, to understand the safeguards that have been removed.
>
> It is a practical language too.  There are free compilers.  It is
> widely used in Europe although not so much in the US, but of course,
> it originated in Switzerland.  There are large system built in it.  My
> consulting company's first project was in Pascal, and was very successful.
> That was more than 25 years ago, but today I have CGI programs written
> in Pascal that are very effective for my current employer.
>
> It is a language with a rich history, as is Rev from hypercard roots.
> Turbo Pascal from Borland blew the doors off anything else in it's day.
> My variant was UCSD Pascal, that was my school, and the pioneers who
> created the P-system ahead of their time saw their work blossom as Java
> many years later.
>
> Perhaps I'd be considered a retro-geek but my view is, there is still
> a lot of value in Pascal as a first language for high school kids, it
> should not be simply dismissed. Sometimes the old ways are the better
> ways. Actually, wasn't that part of your point about educational programs,
> and nose to the grindstone study habits?  Just like Rev, Pascal is not
> suited for everything, but it's also not a "major turn-off" to everyone.
>
> On the other hand, RR for high school kids would be a great addition
> to any CS program.  No argument there  :-)
>
> -- Sadhu
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http://www.andregarzia.com All We Do Is Code.