Re: Pascal for IIgs...

["Eric Heim" <chippys@earthlink.net>]

In article <3798E5D2.CBD11632@texas.net>, phoenyx <phoenyx@texas.net> wrote:


> Eric Heim wrote:
>
>> Supertimer,
>>
>> The best book ever written for learning C is:
>>
>> C Programming
>> A Modern Approach
>>
>> K.N. King
>> ISBN 0-393-96945-2
>> 1996
<snip>

> Not to start a compiler war here ...

I choose not to fight, even if one is started :o)

> ... but some of us just like the style of
> Pascal/Modula2.

Me too. From 1982 to ~'90-'91 (although not programming professionally) it
was my language of choice.  My intro to computer science class textbook was
"Oh! Pascal!"  :o)  Pascal was superceeded in my programming fancy by REXX.
If anyone wants to write a REXX compiler for the IIGS I will buy it :o)

> I understand C, can even write in it some if needed
> but I don't particularly like the language.

One can learn C in a month, but C is elusive, it really takes years of study
and practice to understand it. For anybody. Me too, I'm not referring to you
alone  :o)

> Sure, everyone who's anyone programs in it today, so what.

Here I'll disagree with you. Java is the monster who is eating information
technology. Yesterday it was C++. Embedded systems is where C is currently
dominant. Perhaps Unix, but most Unix programmers I know use perl.

>I'll stick to languages I can easily read without having to focus on the
>abstract symbols and tricks which most average++ C programmers use.

Ok, I will agree with you, however, I refer you to my sentence above
beginning with "One can learn..."  :o)

> Of course I like Applesoft too, it's the first language I learned. But for
> Basic I like Zbasic better.

I learned BASIC in 1972 on a DEC PDP-8. It was also the first language I
learned. However, I don't have the soft spot in my heart for BASIC that
people who learned AppleSoft do.  It is a tribute to Apple and Microsoft.
Both companies actually must have done something right :o)

One final note, I posted the book mentioned because Supertimer is not alone.
C is hard at first and a bad book or a bad teacher makes it all the more
difficult. If someone doesn't like C because they don't understand it, I
think King's book will REALLY make a difference. If that same someone
doesn't choose to learn C, that is fine too. Pascal is good.

--
Eric <chippys@earthlink.net>
     <habanero@delphi.com>