From: Samuel Williams <space.ship.traveller@...>
Date: 2010-05-03T17:50:44+09:00
Subject: Re: Teaching Programming Languages (including Ruby)

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Dear Robert,

Thanks for your well thought out response.

On 3/05/2010, at 6:15 PM, Robert Klemme wrote:

> On 05/02/2010 02:28 PM, Samuel Williams wrote:
>> This is a follow up from previous postings about teaching Ruby in the =
class room.
>> I've now come full circle, and put together this website:
>> 	http://programming.dojo.net.nz/
>=20
> I don't find your description of Java accurate.  For one, it has a =
slightly negative tendency ("This can make it difficult to write short =
and concise Java programs.").  I'd rather stick with descriptions as =
factual as possible.  I would only put such a statement in a later =
chapter but not directly on the introductory page.
>=20

Yes I agree with you. I've removed the statement.

Are there any other issues which you feel are not correct? I'd prefer to =
make it as good as possible, so if there are other inaccuracies it would =
be good to improve.

> Then, you could argue that Ruby is even more object oriented than Java =
because it does not have primitive types.  Also, the ascription that it =
is an interpreted languages is at least incorrect in two ways: it =
insinuates that it is slower than compiled languages - which it is not - =
and it misses the point of modern HotSpot JVM's with dynamic compilation =
of byte code into machine code.

Are you saying that I should not describe Ruby as an interpreted =
language? Or, should I discuss that interpreted languages can be as fast =
as compiled languages through advanced techniques such as hotspot =
compilation?

The latter seems like the best option to me.. what do you think?

>=20
>> This site is about programming languages in general, and is designed =
to be a starting point for people interested in learning more about a =
given programming language.
>> I'd be really grateful for people to look at the site and let me know =
any feedback about the content and how it is presented.
>> In particular interest to this group is the Ruby page:
>> 	http://programming.dojo.net.nz/languages/ruby/index
>=20
> The introductory sentence misses the phrase "object oriented" which I =
consider at least as important as the others (if not more important). =
I'd probably write "Ruby is a dynamically typed, object oriented =
programming language ..."

Yes this makes sense, I wonder how I missed that... to many late nights =
:p I've updated it with this new text.

>=20
> If anything this seems to be an ambitious project.  Good luck!
>=20
> Kind regards
>=20
> 	robert
>=20
> --=20
> remember.guy do |as, often| as.you_can - without end
> http://blog.rubybestpractices.com/

Thanks for your feedback.

Kind regards,
Samuel


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