41–50 of 74 posts
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Yes, but teaching java before graduation is different than teaching it first . You can get all the benefits you mentioned of learning Java even if it's the second or third language while using something nicer for the first one (python? Scheme? SML?).
Class is short, you get one shot. Scheme or Java, not both.
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I've seen this in a couple places, but I'm not sure I understand why. Does anybody know of a good reason for teaching java first?
It's in the interest of the big companies. From what I know, some smaller schools like Harvey Mudd start off with other languages, like Scheme and Prolog.
MIT switched away, though to python iirc which isn't terrible. Northeastern still uses Scheme first though.
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So yes, while you're startup may choose Python or Ruby or the latest language of the day, Java is a great system to teach a lot of fundamental computer science topics with. Are you implying that Python (1991) and Ruby (1995) are some sort of flavor of the day compared to Java (1995)? :-) import java.util.LinkedList; import java.util.List; public class Pets { private List pets; public Pets() { this.pets = new LinkedLi…
List pets = Arrays.asList("cat", "dog", "bird"); You were saying?
Yeah...
This is a language that has its (very large) niche... education is not in that niche. Not out of merit anyway.
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Yes, but teaching java before graduation is different than teaching it first . You can get all the benefits you mentioned of learning Java even if it's the second or third language while using something nicer for the first one (python? Scheme? SML?).
Is seems quite practical to each one of the most used languages in the world. You can then go and pick almost any other language.
Any CS student should be able to do that at least by their second year, regardless of what language they started off with. If colleges were not starting with Java there would be zero risk of students not knowing it if they needed it by the time they were ready to enter the workforce.
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Java is a great choice for CS. It's similarity to C/C++ is handy for those who need to transition high performance computing or move to work on low level systems (kernels, drivers, embedded systems, etc). The JVM is also a great target for learning about virtual machines, since the JVM itself is quite an amazing virtual machine by it's own regard. The JVM can also be used to study a 'real life' implementation of stac…
So yes, while you're startup may choose Python or Ruby or the latest language of the day, Java is a great system to teach a lot of fundamental computer science topics with. Are you implying that Python (1991) and Ruby (1995) are some sort of flavor of the day compared to Java (1995)? :-) import java.util.LinkedList; import java.util.List; public class Pets { private List pets; public Pets() { this.pets = new LinkedLi…
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There are a few big reasons schools still teach Java primarily - adoption, scalability, and maturity. According to almost every Tiobe language survey, Java has been and is still either #1 or #2. It is pervasive in just about every enterprise IT environment throughout the entire world (whether you realize it or not), running on a ~billion devices and, now, Android phones as well. Furthermore, it has very mature suppor…
Yes, but teaching java before graduation is different than teaching it first . You can get all the benefits you mentioned of learning Java even if it's the second or third language while using something nicer for the first one (python? Scheme? SML?).
The usual justification is "we're not a vocational college" which I think is kind of bullshit.
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Yes, but teaching java before graduation is different than teaching it first . You can get all the benefits you mentioned of learning Java even if it's the second or third language while using something nicer for the first one (python? Scheme? SML?).
Universities in the US don't teach languages in general. At my school, you get 1 semester of Java and that's it. The next class people take that uses something else is compilers, and that uses C. You're just expected to know it. The usual justification is "we're not a vocational college" which I think is kind of bullshit.
We got one quarter of C++, then everything else was "you are all grownups, use whatever the hell you want so long as it works on [cs cluster]". Most people continued to use C++ of course. It was not until an intro to languages course (preceding a few compilers courses, if you elected to take them) that course material again included learning a new language (scheme).
This, aside from the initial obnoxious first quarter, seems like the absolute proper way to run a CS department. A bunch of courses teaching different languages, as I would expect from some sort of "vocational college", is absolutely not what I was paying for.
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So yes, while you're startup may choose Python or Ruby or the latest language of the day, Java is a great system to teach a lot of fundamental computer science topics with. Are you implying that Python (1991) and Ruby (1995) are some sort of flavor of the day compared to Java (1995)? :-) import java.util.LinkedList; import java.util.List; public class Pets { private List pets; public Pets() { this.pets = new LinkedLi…
Gentler for a weekend hacker, but not for a student. Java is verbose for a reason - safety and reliability. Things enterprises value. Students need to learn what is most pervasive in the field they plan to enter. That being Java. Starting them out on a "lite" version of a programming language simply because it is easier is just setting them up for failure.
[insert examples of runnable 'Hello, World!' and 'Hello, !' programs in Python v Ruby v Java here]
This is outstanding!! Man, I would've loved to have this when I was in grade school. I remember being very excited about my one hour per week in front of the LOGO turtle. This goes way beyond. I'm not a big fan of java, but learning how to program in the same language your parents may be using at grown up work is pretty damn awesome.
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Yes, but teaching java before graduation is different than teaching it first . You can get all the benefits you mentioned of learning Java even if it's the second or third language while using something nicer for the first one (python? Scheme? SML?).
Not so. Learning on an interpreted language is akin to learning how to fly a plane by simply riding in one. There is a lot to learn in a CS program, and it really requires a single language from start to finish. Python doesn't have some of the advanced capabilities and adoption of an enterprise-class language like Java. Believe me, I love Python - I've created a ton of apps with it, but I also have a CS degree and ha…
Interpretation or not is a property of the implementation, not of the language. And it's a sliding scale as well, as you can see with Java.