[nmglug] Beginning C Programming

[Mark Janssen]

>> There really isn't any reason for high school students to learn C
>> programming or any language hat uses pointers.   The evolution of
>> programming has advanced so far that it's really a poor direction
>> unless they are doing hardware work.  Otherwise, the need to worry
>> about the hardware details interferes with the art of programming.
>
> Wow.  I couldn't disagree more.  I think having some time where you
> have to sling memory on your own gives you a good grounding of
> fundamentals and an appreciation for the things that are done for you
> automatically with newer languages.

Yes, I would have thought so too, coming from my hacker-self, but it
can mislead the programmers mind.  Different systems have different
memory architectures, for example.   I would set them in front of an
old machine, have them install Linux on it and get it to run well.
Linux is an ideal environment, both for understanding computer
resources in a complex environment and for learning C.  Gcc (bundled
with linux) is still the best environment to learn, is committed to
open source, and has the best community of hackers.  But I am partial
to such.

> Moore's law has given us a great bounty.  Faster CPUs and an abundance
> of memory allow us to us highly leveraged (read:  object oriented)
> languages where lots of stuff gets done "behind the scenes."
>
> Programmers that learn via Java and Python have the same potential as
> those from earlier times, but how many of them would be able to help in
> the efforts to recapture the ISEE-3 probe?

That's fine, but you probably won't be able to do that with C either,
unless the manufacturer has made libraries for it.  Most specialized
hardware requires machine assembly in order to get it to interface
with the operating environment.

> Now get off my lawn while I get off my soapbox.  :-)

Not your lawn, sir.

Mark