[Edu-sig] Python for CS101

[Kirby Urner]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: edu-sig-bounces at python.org [mailto:edu-sig-bounces at python.org] On
> Behalf Of Dan Crosta
> Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2005 12:46 PM
> To: edu-sig at python.org
> Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] Python for CS101


> In fact, the only areas I think Python is *not* suitable are low-level
> architecture-dependent programming. 

Unless you count Jython and its access to Java classes, I think the ability
to code applets to run client-side over the Internet is still a Java forte
and niche high level application that hasn't been duplicated in Python --
again, unless you count Jython (which in my experience hasn't become a
significant source of such applets).

Now, whether applet coding should be a significant part of a CS0/CS1 course
is something we might debate, but I do think this is a case where a language
other than Python has a significant edge at a higher level than low-level
architecture-dependent programming.  I'm sure we might come up with other
examples (using Eiffel?  Ocaml?  Haskell?  J?).

I like CS courses which sample (in my freshman CS course a Princeton, we
played with SNOBOL, APL, PL/1, FORTRAN, and no doubt some others I've
forgotten).  That being said, you also need an "anchor" or "home base"
language to help you nail it all down, and as a point of comparison.  Python
makes a lot of sense in this role.

So of course I agree that Python is a strong candidate as the star of a
CS0/CS1 course and I fully expect it to continue making inroads deep into
that turf.  

I also find it interesting that most of us here are considering it as an
alternative to either C++ or Java, but aren't mentioning Scheme (which has
been an intro CS language at MIT for some time).  

Also, down the road, I can see a CS curriculum which is pretty .NET centric,
using Python with the CLR per IronPython, with the obvious bridge to C#
(Python's implementation language on that platform).  This approach is more
likely if the .NET clones continue to evolve in tandem with the Microsoft
OS, as this will solve a lot of cross-platform development issues.

Kirby