Experiences/guidance on teaching Python as a first programming language

[Grant Edwards]

On 2013-12-18, Roy Smith <roy at panix.com> wrote:
> In article <l8pvsl$60h$1 at reader1.panix.com>,
>  Grant Edwards <invalid at invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>> Ideally, you should also have written at least one functioning 
>> compiler before learning C as well.
>
> Why?  I've never written a compiler.  I've written plenty of C.  I don't 
> see how my lack of compiler writing experience has hindered my ability 
> to write C.

I've always felt that there are features in C that don't make a lot of
sense until you've actually implemented a compiler -- at which point
it becomes a lot more obvious why some thing are done certain ways.

Maybe that's just me. I had written a compiler before I learned C, and
there were things that made perfect sense to me that seemed to confuse
others I worked with who were learning C at the same time.

-- 
Grant Edwards               grant.b.edwards        Yow! It's a hole all the
                                  at               way to downtown Burbank!
                              gmail.com