From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Feb 9 18:15:00 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 067C516A469 for ; Sat, 9 Feb 2008 18:15:00 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jalmberg@identry.com) Received: from mx1.identry.com (on.identry.com [69.1.254.98]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id AE62413C457 for ; Sat, 9 Feb 2008 18:14:59 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jalmberg@identry.com) Received: (qmail 35162 invoked by uid 89); 9 Feb 2008 18:14:58 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO ?192.168.1.110?) (jalmberg@75.127.142.66) by mx1.identry.com with ESMTPA; 9 Feb 2008 18:14:58 -0000 Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v752.3) To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Message-Id: <959D1B61-1FD1-49FE-96C2-45E16D5D8DC9@identry.com> References: <7BD505BF-CFE6-4017-B90F-87668627C2EC@identry.com> From: John Almberg Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2008 13:14:56 -0500 X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.752.3) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.5 Subject: Fwd: Three wishes of a wannabe developer X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2008 18:15:00 -0000 >> Several reasons: >> - you will learn good habits >> - you will, by necessity, learn and object oriented approach >> - Squeak is a great learning tool, with excellent debugging tools > > Sounds like the main arguments that used to be made for learning > Pascal. > > Might be good, but not subscribed to by very many. > Actually, I did learn Pascal in University :-) A great language for learning structured programming. But that was then (the 70s). We also learned VAX assembler, which is more to my point: Because I learned VAX assembler first, it was easier for me to learn C, which practically mapped directly to the VAX instruction set. Knowing that C was nothing more than a glorified assembler kept me from making the serious mistakes that people who thought C was a high- level language, made. My argument for Smalltalk is the same: If you learn Smalltalk first, then other OO languages will make a lot more sense, and you'll better understand the quirks of OO-tolerant languages, like C++ and Perl. I'm also assuming that Rui's main goals are not vocational. That is, he's not trying to learn a language to earn a living. I'm guessing he's hoping to learn something new, to get his ideas out there, and to have a bit of fun. Smalltalk is easy to learn, and fun. However, there are lots of ways to skin this cat... this is just my opinion. -- John ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Websites for On-line Collectible Dealers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Identry, LLC John Almberg (631) 546-5079 jalmberg@identry.com www.identry.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~