> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Dan Crosta > Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2005 12:46 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] Python for CS101
> In fact, the only areas I think Python is *not* suitable are low-level > architecture-dependent programming. Unless you count Jython and its access to Java classes, I think the ability to code applets to run client-side over the Internet is still a Java forte and niche high level application that hasn't been duplicated in Python -- again, unless you count Jython (which in my experience hasn't become a significant source of such applets). Now, whether applet coding should be a significant part of a CS0/CS1 course is something we might debate, but I do think this is a case where a language other than Python has a significant edge at a higher level than low-level architecture-dependent programming. I'm sure we might come up with other examples (using Eiffel? Ocaml? Haskell? J?). I like CS courses which sample (in my freshman CS course a Princeton, we played with SNOBOL, APL, PL/1, FORTRAN, and no doubt some others I've forgotten). That being said, you also need an "anchor" or "home base" language to help you nail it all down, and as a point of comparison. Python makes a lot of sense in this role. So of course I agree that Python is a strong candidate as the star of a CS0/CS1 course and I fully expect it to continue making inroads deep into that turf. I also find it interesting that most of us here are considering it as an alternative to either C++ or Java, but aren't mentioning Scheme (which has been an intro CS language at MIT for some time). Also, down the road, I can see a CS curriculum which is pretty .NET centric, using Python with the CLR per IronPython, with the obvious bridge to C# (Python's implementation language on that platform). This approach is more likely if the .NET clones continue to evolve in tandem with the Microsoft OS, as this will solve a lot of cross-platform development issues. Kirby _______________________________________________ Edu-sig mailing list [email protected] http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig
