ActionScript as a teaching language

[Paul King]

On 30 Dec 2005 at 23:33, Christopher Browne (Christopher Browne <tlug-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org>) spaketh these wourdes:

> On 12/29/05, William Park <opengeometry-FFYn/CNdgSA at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> > In fact, for Grade 11, even Awk is sufficient.  Awk syntax is like C, so
> > you can teach C very easily afterwards.
> 
> Having associative arrays and regular expressions in the "base
> language" would make C a pretty big step down from Awk.  In any case,
> Awk is only marginally less "dead" than Latin; I don't think too many
> Grade 11 classes will be using it.

Actually, it would be unsuitable, since I am not sure if grade 11 kids would be 
cilmbing over each other to learn about what is really nothing more than a text 
parser. Part of the Computer Science programme at most schools is aimed at 
*generating* interest in Computer Science, hence the unfortunate trend toward 
learning ActionScript.

Paul King

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