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I believe it is to teach the fundamentals of the CPU, Machine code before the student has any knowledge of the abstraction's that currently exist. Then after th

by hackits 10y ago

I believe it is to teach the fundamentals of the CPU, Machine code before the student has any knowledge of the abstraction's that currently exist. Then after the fundamentals have been established introduce the abstractions and different approaches to improve productivity.

no_wizard 10y ago
The reverse is to give people a way to build things. Even simple things. This lights up the brains response every time you get the computer to, as my old lab partner in my first CS class put it 'to do a thing! Automatically!'. My first real python program made me gush with endorphins. I feel like if I didn't start off on Python first (and, for whats it worth, still heavily use today) I wouldn't have been NEARLY as interested in the mechanics behind it (specifically the C libraries) or generally the things python lets you take advantage of (like manually managing memory. I still have horrid memories learning C and dealing with pointers.) It drove my curiosity to understand all the under the hood aspects. If I started with Java, I wouldn't have had these wow like moments writing fairly large (at the time, anyway) programs that actually functioned. Like my first simple RSS reader. Or the first time I discovered I could automate my Macs tasks quite easily. I was HUNGRY for power after that. and i knew, at least, more power, for all python was worth, would likely come from other languages being in the mix. So I learned Java, and C, and opened my eyes to the power of many other languages (I still insist Perl is better at string processing than any other language. Show me that its not! /rant) I think there is a lot of value is in learning the fundamentals with Python or another interpreted / high-level language first.
- hackits 10y ago
  I agree with your view point. Although why are you in the CS class? If you're only interested in just getting the job done the fastest? From a practicality stand point of view using bash, batch files, nodejs, python is going to be faster second to none, I'm not discussing that. The point is using a low level language you have to consider about decoding the jpg, memory allocation or possible streaming issues. Optimal buffer size and command prompt parameters to parse from the command line to resize the image. All tangibly relate to other fields in the curriculum and when you get a job the field.
  - no_wizard 10y ago
    It's not about getting the job done. It's more about opening ones eyes to the potentials of computer science. Learning Python open the doors to other kings. Not to mention many of the things you are mentioning here are power user features of python as well.

by hackits 10y ago

no_wizard 10y ago

The reverse is to give people a way to build things. Even simple things. This lights up the brains response every time you get the computer to, as my old lab partner in my first CS class put it 'to do a thing! Automatically!'. My first real python program made me gush with endorphins. I feel like if I didn't start off on Python first (and, for whats it worth, still heavily use today) I wouldn't have been NEARLY as interested in the mechanics behind it (specifically the C libraries) or generally the things python lets you take advantage of (like manually managing memory. I still have horrid memories learning C and dealing with pointers.) It drove my curiosity to understand all the under the hood aspects. If I started with Java, I wouldn't have had these wow like moments writing fairly large (at the time, anyway) programs that actually functioned. Like my first simple RSS reader. Or the first time I discovered I could automate my Macs tasks quite easily. I was HUNGRY for power after that. and i knew, at least, more power, for all python was worth, would likely come from other languages being in the mix. So I learned Java, and C, and opened my eyes to the power of many other languages (I still insist Perl is better at string processing than any other language. Show me that its not! /rant) I think there is a lot of value is in learning the fundamentals with Python or another interpreted / high-level language first.

hackits 10y ago
I agree with your view point. Although why are you in the CS class? If you're only interested in just getting the job done the fastest? From a practicality stand point of view using bash, batch files, nodejs, python is going to be faster second to none, I'm not discussing that. The point is using a low level language you have to consider about decoding the jpg, memory allocation or possible streaming issues. Optimal buffer size and command prompt parameters to parse from the command line to resize the image. All tangibly relate to other fields in the curriculum and when you get a job the field.
- no_wizard 10y ago
  It's not about getting the job done. It's more about opening ones eyes to the potentials of computer science. Learning Python open the doors to other kings. Not to mention many of the things you are mentioning here are power user features of python as well.