From: Chad Perrin <perrin@...>
Date: 2006-07-27T09:01:41+09:00
Subject: Re: OO Paradigm and Ruby Exercises for a Beginner

On Thu, Jul 27, 2006 at 08:48:19AM +0900, Hal Fulton wrote:
> Chad Perrin wrote:
> >
> >I've seen references to this book a number of times, and heard good
> >things about it.  What, exactly, is its approach and "theme"?  
> 
> Well, the first chapter is different: It's an overview of OOP in general
> and Ruby in particular.

Excellent!


> 

[ snip a bunch of exposition ]

> 
> Does that help?

Wonderful!  It's going on my list of must-haves, forthwith -- though I
may wait for 2nd Ed to come out before buying it.  Is there a
free/online version available to get me started?


> 

[ sip a bunch of dithering by yours truly ]

> 
> I've thought about this, but I think it can only be taken so far.
> 
> In explaining OOP, you sort of have to understand what P is before you
> grasp what OO is. Maybe we should use the French abbreviation, POO.  :)

I'm not sure I agree with that.  In fact, I'm pretty sure I don't.  If
programming is taught in a strictly object-oriented manner from line
one, the student can progress as a programmer via the OOP instruction,
rather than needing to be a competent programmer first.  I think that,
at most, perhaps a handful of pages (four to six, maybe) need to be
spent on "What is a variable?" before getting into object oriented
programming in earnest, and even at that point OOP techniques can be
used where appropriate.

I'm just tired of seeing people say they were going to do an
OOP-complete beginning programmer's tutorial, but gave up, and did a
procedural tutorial with cursory mentions of OOP concepts just for
color.  Dammit.

-- 
CCD CopyWrite Chad Perrin [ http://ccd.apotheon.org ]
"The measure on a man's real character is what he would do
if he knew he would never be found out." - Thomas McCauley