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Re: [colorforth] objects and forth

Learning C first will probably do some damage.

Learning Smalltalk first will probably do some serious damage.
Learning LISP first, if you learn it RIGHT (i.e., from SICP), will probably help a lot more than it hurts.
Recall that there are two categories of computer languages: LISP, and everything else.
----- Original Message ----- From: <vaded@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <colorforth@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 7:02 PM
Subject: Re: [colorforth] objects and forth



I remember Jeff Fox saying something to the point of that the engineers
he worked with who knew ASM had a very easy time picking up the 1X
Forths (machine forth, etc.).  But those who were firmly entrenched in
the C and related paradigms had a much harder time seeing the virtues of
1X forth and adopting its methodologies.  So I'm wondering if the
approach of learning C or Lisp or Small Talk first may prime the mind in
a ineffecient way when it comes to forth?


On Wed, 4 Feb 2009 22:33:42 -0300 , "Jecel Assumpcao Jr"
<jecel@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> said:

David J. Goehrig wrote:

> The way I typically teach programming to newbies, and reteach people
> who've acquired a theoretical education, is I start off with the bit, and
> move up from there.  By the end a few days, they've learned enough
> to do basic assembler.  I then work with them to build a C or Lisp or
> Smalltalk.  At that point, if they're willing I introduce them to Forth.

You might find this course interesting:

http://www1.idc.ac.il/tecs/

It is better known as "From Nand to Tetris in 12 steps". The authors
make some silly mistakes, like in their explanation of Harvard versus
Von Neuman architectures. And their machine language is more horrible
than I would like. But in general it seems to be a good course.

About the subject, I worked on hardware for OO Color Forth in 2001/2002
and so have an opinion about this. But it will have to wait until
tomorrow (Friday is more likely...).

-- Jecel


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