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Show HN: Learning Games – Coded with a Self-Created Programming Language

5 points by chkas 8y ago

amitport 8y ago
very nice! why did you chose to use a self-created language?
- chkas 8y ago
  I first created the language https://easyprog.online https://easyprog.online - intended as a learning language. And then I made some examples with this language. So these simple games have come.
  - amitport 8y ago
    Yes, _but_... why did you create this educational language? [I have experience defining a new language syntax and with programming education] Why do you think it is better to use some new language than to teach using something like coffeescript / scala / groovy? (which with a proper API can be very similar to your DSL) using a real language you get: 1) tooling 2) ecosystem and community 3) you teach something real that can be used directly elsewhere (I'm just wondering, it's a very nice project in any case)
    - chkas 8y ago
      > why did you create this educational language? I also have experience with programming education. I was asked to recommend a programming language to a 14 year old newbie. My answer was Scratch, Alice or Python. But this is not what I would be happy with as a beginner. I learned programming a the olden times with BASIC on a home computer. But things have become more complicated since then. I then started to design a simple IDE and programming language. I was thinking about using an existing language, but it would have made it more complicated. There are so many languages/framworks at the moment, the chance that you work in your job with exactly what you learn in school is not very big anyway. > 1) tooling 2) ecosystem and community In my opinion, this only distracts from concentrating on the essentials. Meanwhile I can work productively with the language myself. Developing these games in Javascript would have been too time-consuming.
      - amitport 8y ago
        I still think that you would get more results/traction with a more established language but it was interesting to read your perspective. Thank you
- O1111OOO 8y ago
  The author has done a really nice job on the language, IDE, syntax and documentation. It looks like a great beginner's programming language and this new site helps empower the ongoing work further. The IDE (and intro) was on the front page about three weeks ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19299760 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19299760

5 points by chkas 8y ago

amitport 8y ago

very nice! why did you chose to use a self-created language?

chkas 8y ago
I first created the language https://easyprog.online https://easyprog.online - intended as a learning language. And then I made some examples with this language. So these simple games have come.
- amitport 8y ago
  Yes, _but_... why did you create this educational language? [I have experience defining a new language syntax and with programming education] Why do you think it is better to use some new language than to teach using something like coffeescript / scala / groovy? (which with a proper API can be very similar to your DSL) using a real language you get: 1) tooling 2) ecosystem and community 3) you teach something real that can be used directly elsewhere (I'm just wondering, it's a very nice project in any case)
  - chkas 8y ago
    > why did you create this educational language? I also have experience with programming education. I was asked to recommend a programming language to a 14 year old newbie. My answer was Scratch, Alice or Python. But this is not what I would be happy with as a beginner. I learned programming a the olden times with BASIC on a home computer. But things have become more complicated since then. I then started to design a simple IDE and programming language. I was thinking about using an existing language, but it would have made it more complicated. There are so many languages/framworks at the moment, the chance that you work in your job with exactly what you learn in school is not very big anyway. > 1) tooling 2) ecosystem and community In my opinion, this only distracts from concentrating on the essentials. Meanwhile I can work productively with the language myself. Developing these games in Javascript would have been too time-consuming.
    - amitport 8y ago
      I still think that you would get more results/traction with a more established language but it was interesting to read your perspective. Thank you
O1111OOO 8y ago
The author has done a really nice job on the language, IDE, syntax and documentation. It looks like a great beginner's programming language and this new site helps empower the ongoing work further. The IDE (and intro) was on the front page about three weeks ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19299760 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19299760