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The title is a bit misleading. The gist of TFA is that MIT is switching from Scheme to Python in its INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING course. That would seem to me t
by gengstrand 17y ago
The title is a bit misleading. The gist of TFA is that MIT is switching from Scheme to Python in its INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING course. That would seem to me to be a bit of a no brainer. I find python to be a much more acceptable alternative than BASIC in introducing people new to coder in a way that is more in line with sound computer engineering practices.
- KC8ZKF 17y agoI'm not sure I understand you. You like the switch from Scheme to Python because Python is better than BASIC?
- jobeirne 17y agoWhy is this guy being voted down for a decently formed comment?
- Confusion 17y agoPerhaps because people are dumbfounded by him introducing BASIC into the disctussion for no obvious reason whatsoever.
- krschultz 17y agobecause SICP was a great introduction, personally I think that Scheme (at least at first) is easier to pick up than Python. Our professor taught us basic Scheme in 40 minutes no problem. Python takes longer than that because there is more syntax. Basically all you need in scheme are some () and define, lambda, cons, car, cdr, and cond for the first 4 or 5 weeks.
- philwelch 17y agoI started with C, but from what I've heard, Scheme actually makes plenty of sense as a first language. There's a Marvin Minsky quote, "Anyone could learn Lisp in one day, except that if they already knew Fortran, it would take three days." The "complexity" of Lisp comes from our preconceptions from different languages (Minsky presumably said that when Fortran was more in vogue).