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I don't think your opinion is shit, I just think your perspective has changed because you actually can code. The hardest thing for a beginner is just the syntax

by zedshaw 15y ago

I don't think your opinion is shit, I just think your perspective has changed because you actually can code. The hardest thing for a beginner is just the syntax. If you've never written code before then the symbols in programming are alien as hell. By focusing on seemingly repetitive syntax drills I get them skilled progressively until syntax isn't a problem. Another thing you might be missing is under each exercise is a real piece of programming they're learning. For example, with string formatting I'm actually teaching the concept of named variables. Later on I use the fact they've actually been using named variables to then teach the concept explicitly and then they get it quicker.

YuriNiyazov 15y ago
I agree that syntax is the hardest thing. Based on my experience tutoring, I would add the following (which was surprising to discover at first): the second hardest thing is the order of evaluation. I've seen students write down a = do_something1(do_something2()) and be unable to explain that do_something2() actually happens before do_something1(), and to see that the code is loosely equivalent to b = do_something2() a = do_something1(b)
- Locke1689 15y ago
  The worst is when you're teaching C and you have to explain that void * a = do_something1(do_something2(), do_something3()); is not equivalent to int b = do_something2(); int c = do_something3(); void * a = do_something1(b, c);
  - YuriNiyazov 15y ago
    Because the order of evaluation of arguments is not defined?
drmohundro 15y ago
I'm a CS grad, but I had zero knowledge of programming when I entered college - I knew some basics about HTML and I could fix some basic computer issues but that is it. I remember trying to open an executable in Notepad and thinking to myself, "uh oh, this is going to be really hard." I was still struggling with syntax issues into my second year of school. It's not a good feeling to be debugging null pointer issues and data structures when you're not confident with the syntax.

by zedshaw 15y ago

YuriNiyazov 15y ago

I agree that syntax is the hardest thing. Based on my experience tutoring, I would add the following (which was surprising to discover at first): the second hardest thing is the order of evaluation. I've seen students write down a = do_something1(do_something2()) and be unable to explain that do_something2() actually happens before do_something1(), and to see that the code is loosely equivalent to b = do_something2() a = do_something1(b)

Locke1689 15y ago
The worst is when you're teaching C and you have to explain that void * a = do_something1(do_something2(), do_something3()); is not equivalent to int b = do_something2(); int c = do_something3(); void * a = do_something1(b, c);
- YuriNiyazov 15y ago
  Because the order of evaluation of arguments is not defined?

drmohundro 15y ago

I'm a CS grad, but I had zero knowledge of programming when I entered college - I knew some basics about HTML and I could fix some basic computer issues but that is it. I remember trying to open an executable in Notepad and thinking to myself, "uh oh, this is going to be really hard." I was still struggling with syntax issues into my second year of school. It's not a good feeling to be debugging null pointer issues and data structures when you're not confident with the syntax.