use Perl

• Subsets do not count (Score:1)

  by brian_d_foy (44)

  Damian (and Linda McIver, the co-author) point out that choosing a subset for a language does not raise its grade---indeed, it makes it worse.
  
  Although you can teach a subset of a language in complete isolation, the perl interpreter does not limit itself to that subset (at least not yet), and other books the students may consult may use a different subset. Since the best way to answer one's own questions, in my opinion, is to search Google Groups, the good students will run into things outside of the pedag
• Teachable != Usable (Score:1)

  by dws (341)

  The problem with simple (or even on-simple) teachable languages is that they often fail miserably to satisfy the urge that 5-10% of students have to actually build something interesting.
  • Re:Teachable != Usable (Score:2)

    by Damian (784)

    The solution to this (very real) problem is, however, not to change or extend the teaching language. It's to allow that 5% (and you're fortunate if it's as high as 5%) to move on quickly to a more powerful language.

    For example, in a follow-up paper [monash.edu.au] to Seven Deadly Sins... we propose a "zero'th" programming language that would only be used for a few weeks, or at most a month or two, prior to learning a first programming language.