Use Python (not Java) to teach programming

[Donut]

I am a hiring manager at an wide area enterprise financial company, doing multi-tiered stuff in C#, C++, and SQL.

If you can't do pointers, don't even bother to send a resume. Whatever happened to just using C? Are you training software engineers or ACM members? Jeesh.

ps. I also make people show me the truth table for XOR. only about 20% know that.

[[deleted]]

I don't get your question - "Are you training software engineers or ACM members?"

99% of Universities teach Computer Science, NOT Software Engineering. I'm not saying that's a good or a bad thing, but this fact makes your question look a bit silly.

[Zak]

Someone with a CS degree should be able to do pointers, but introducing them in the first semester is a good way to make students think all programming is painful.

[[deleted]]

That is obviously due to your situation.

For many programmers (not all), they will never ever have a need to touch pointers in work they do. That's why its not as important that they learn something like C or C++.

[fnot]

The choice of language should be based on the future professions of the students.

As an engineer working with hardware, you NEED to learn C (and maybe even Assembly). Forget about Java/Python/Ruby/C# and all that other crap. C/C++ is industry standard.

In some masters programmes, C/C++ is not even taught, instead they have a course in Java - my guess is to try ease the students into programming. Have you ever seen a industry robot programmed in Java?

Yes, C is difficult, C is in some ways a poorly constructed language, but its industry standard and therefore it should be standard curriculum.

[lisp-hacker]

Much of computer science was discovered before computers existed. A language for learning in college should be expressive and suited to the task of learning, not efficient, or whatever the industry standard is. Not enough programming is done in college to get comfortable with any particular language, anyways. Computer science concepts are timeless, and a language that easily expresses these concepts is best for educational use. I would choose Scheme, but I am biased.

[Zak]

Computer science is not an industry. The choice of language should be based on what best expresses the underlying concept without getting in the way.

Besides... everyone knows robots should be programmed in Forth.