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List:       kde-edu
Subject:    Re: [kde-edu]: proposal
From:       Anthony Moulen <ajmoulen () alum ! mit ! edu>
Date:       2002-06-18 14:56:31
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On Monday 17 June 2002 01:41 pm, Matthew Tedder wrote:

> Structured programming languages are not outdated.  Object-orientation is
> not the "best" approach for every problem.  If it were, we'd all be using
> Java for everything.

No, neither is this truly my point, and it is obvious I wasn't clear.  
Teaching a Structured language first then an Object-Oriented language after, 
is an outdated teaching model.  First people learn by association.  It is 
easier to build the abstracts of object-oriented program around these common 
association than it is to build the concepts of structured programming.  

And as to the overhead and such, it is minimal when you are talking about a 
beginning programmer.  These people aren't going to be building the next 
Apache web server or Linux kernel tomorrow if they can't even program a basic 
"Hello World" program today.  Understanding the concepts of objects, it is 
easier later to learn to remove objects where they simply do not buy you 
anything, it is harder to learn to build objects when they do buy you 
something when you have learned a structured way first.  The number of KDE 
programs that I have pulled apart to play with, only to find the person 
writing structured programs when it was simply screaming I should be an 
object is staggering.  It is because people first learn structures, and try 
to fit every program into a structured model, only later to then migrate 
toward objects for things that simply can't be done the other way. 

I don't disagree that both models have their benefits as well as their down 
sides.  But in all my experience, it has been harder to reshape someone's 
programming technique to use Objects after they have become overly 
comfortable with structured programming.  (And I say this from personal 
experience as well, I always have to slap myself to use objects when 
structured programming simply makes no sense but is still possible). 

PS: This may show up twice, I keep forgetting to change my personality to the 
one that can post to this list. 
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