Re: Java compiler courses

Marco van de Voort <marcov@stack.nl> writes:


> On 2007-04-26, Michael Klemm <usenet@gmx.info> wrote:
>> From my experience (tutor for compiler construction both in C and
>> later in Java), the students are able to produce a more stable
>> compiler in Java more quickly than in C. For Java, all gory details
>> that make programming tough (esp. memory management) comes almost for
>> free.
>
> I somewhat wonder why people think that Java is easier to learn than
> C. In ome of my classes I found the opposite (which surprised me too),
> specially if the students had no prior IT knowledge (they were classes
> for graduated non IT bachelors).


We are getting a bit off topic here, but being easier to learn does
not equate being easier to use, once you have mastered it.


But I agree that Java is not an easy language to learn, mostly because
the OO model is rather arcane compared to the imperative or functional
models. I would not choose any OO language as the first language to
teach students, unless the OO parts are so isolated that you can use
the language effectively without ever using objects (like in, say,
O'Caml), and then I would simply ignore the OO parts for the first
course.


Torben

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