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A Data-Centric Introduction to Computing

106 points by RafelMri 4y ago

wodenokoto 4y ago
Looks like an interesting angle to data and computer science. The authors build their own teaching language to accompany the book, called pyret [1] A cool feature of which is you can have tests as part of your function definition. [1] https://www.pyret.org/ https://www.pyret.org/
Rzor 4y ago
How does this book compare to How to Design Programs?
- newsoul 4y ago
  Check the appendix of the book. The authors have made a comparison.
- johnamata 4y ago
  see the author's take on both: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1478125799660261376.html https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1478125799660261376.html
rfrey 4y ago
In case it doesn't jump out to someone (it didn't to me), one of the authors (Shriram Krishnamurthi) is also an author of HtDP. I cottoned onto this because in the appendix describing differences with HtDP the authors describe ideas weaving back and forth between the two books.
jackallis 4y ago
people w/experience, how does this transfer to other languages once you complete this? Edit: generally, i would love for any text based or even MOOC based courses to lay, out at the end, where does said student do after finishing the course i.e. what courses the could potentially take.
kingkongjaffa 4y ago
I read https://www.pyret.org/pyret-code/ https://www.pyret.org/pyret-code/ and I still think it’s strange to not just use python or some other language that’s more marketable. Presumably most people learning to code are doing so in the hopes of gainful employment at some point, so it’s handy to learn a language you can put on your resume to maybe get a job.
- karanbhangui 4y ago
  Industrial languages and their syntax can be learned pretty quickly once core computer science concepts have been grokked.
  - cloogshicer 4y ago
    I teach programming to complete beginners (adults) and I've experienced the exact opposite. For a beginner, the difficulty of learning a new language is really not to be underestimated. The new syntax, small differences in semantics here and there... it all adds up quickly and people get confused and overwhelmed.
    - karanbhangui 4y ago
      All the more reason to use a purpose built teaching language without the cruft and with minimally necessary syntax, no?
      - cloogshicer 4y ago
        I disagree, I think it's more valuable to learn a language that's "real" straight away, because even teaching languages have a lot of details and intricacies, and this way you only have to learn those once (at the beginning). I'm not saying the other way can't work though, I've just experienced that this is easier.
wizofaus 4y ago
Am I the only person who literally spent 45 seconds just trying to figure out how to access whatever content was on that page? (Including switching to desktop mode on my phone in case somehow it had just been badly designed for small screen use...)
- feet 4y ago
  I gave up in about 5, not wasting my time with that
bruce343434 4y ago
Is there an "unrolled" version of this book where I don't have to click a button or link after every paragraph to read the next?
newsoul 4y ago
Btw, this is the github page where you can report your issues with the book https://github.com/data-centric-computing/dcic-public https://github.com/data-centric-computing/dcic-public

106 points by RafelMri 4y ago

Looks like an interesting angle to data and computer science. The authors build their own teaching language to accompany the book, called pyret [1] A cool feature of which is you can have tests as part of your function definition. [1] https://www.pyret.org/ https://www.pyret.org/

Rzor 4y ago

How does this book compare to How to Design Programs?

newsoul 4y ago
Check the appendix of the book. The authors have made a comparison.
johnamata 4y ago
see the author's take on both: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1478125799660261376.html https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1478125799660261376.html

rfrey 4y ago

In case it doesn't jump out to someone (it didn't to me), one of the authors (Shriram Krishnamurthi) is also an author of HtDP. I cottoned onto this because in the appendix describing differences with HtDP the authors describe ideas weaving back and forth between the two books.

jackallis 4y ago

people w/experience, how does this transfer to other languages once you complete this? Edit: generally, i would love for any text based or even MOOC based courses to lay, out at the end, where does said student do after finishing the course i.e. what courses the could potentially take.

kingkongjaffa 4y ago

I read https://www.pyret.org/pyret-code/ https://www.pyret.org/pyret-code/ and I still think it’s strange to not just use python or some other language that’s more marketable. Presumably most people learning to code are doing so in the hopes of gainful employment at some point, so it’s handy to learn a language you can put on your resume to maybe get a job.

karanbhangui 4y ago
Industrial languages and their syntax can be learned pretty quickly once core computer science concepts have been grokked.
- cloogshicer 4y ago
  I teach programming to complete beginners (adults) and I've experienced the exact opposite. For a beginner, the difficulty of learning a new language is really not to be underestimated. The new syntax, small differences in semantics here and there... it all adds up quickly and people get confused and overwhelmed.
  - karanbhangui 4y ago
    All the more reason to use a purpose built teaching language without the cruft and with minimally necessary syntax, no?
    - cloogshicer 4y ago
      I disagree, I think it's more valuable to learn a language that's "real" straight away, because even teaching languages have a lot of details and intricacies, and this way you only have to learn those once (at the beginning). I'm not saying the other way can't work though, I've just experienced that this is easier.

wizofaus 4y ago

Am I the only person who literally spent 45 seconds just trying to figure out how to access whatever content was on that page? (Including switching to desktop mode on my phone in case somehow it had just been badly designed for small screen use...)

feet 4y ago
I gave up in about 5, not wasting my time with that

bruce343434 4y ago

Is there an "unrolled" version of this book where I don't have to click a button or link after every paragraph to read the next?

newsoul 4y ago

Btw, this is the github page where you can report your issues with the book https://github.com/data-centric-computing/dcic-public https://github.com/data-centric-computing/dcic-public