use Perl

• Technology apologists (Score:2)

  by ziggy (25) on 2001.11.13 10:17 (#1877) Journal

  I haven't taught Perl to beginners, but I've taught various bits of XML to beginners and intermediate programmers alike.

  I've found it to be rather common to need to apologize for the state of the technology being presented. This could be something as simple as using $array[0] vs. @array[0] in Perl, or much more unfortunate like the state of XML. Most recently, I had to teach DTD syntax and usage to a bunch of programmers who were going to be using XML Schema, and had to defend DTDs, only to illustrate the failings of DTDs now that XML Schema exists -- and then to backpedal on XML Schema because it's not widely liked or implemented out in the field yet (and the syntax is kinda backwards as well).

  I've heard Python trainers talk about similar issues, like meaningful whitespace. XP presenters also plea to suspend disbelief about pair programming, or spend a lot of time defending pair programming (or test-first programming, or other facets of XP). Thinking back to when I learned C <mumble> years ago, I remember the professor took a stand on learning how CPUs work, as if to apologize for the incredibly low-level nature of the C language.

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  • Re:Technology apologists (Score:1)

    by Matts (1087)

    Solution: Teach schematron for validating XML instead. Actually, I'd kill for a decent RELAX implementation any day over a Schemas implementation!