[Edu-sig] Edu-sig Digest, Vol 22, Issue 26

[Arthur]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: edu-sig-bounces at python.org [mailto:edu-sig-bounces at python.org] On
> Behalf Of Toby Donaldson
> 
> On 5/26/05 7:32 PM, "edu-sig-request at python.org"
> <edu-sig-request at python.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> I've been involved with teaching CS1/CS2 style courses for the last couple
> of years where Python is used in the first course, and Java in the second.
> It's a good combination.
> 
> Simple Python programs are usually much easier to read and simpler to
> write
> than simple Java programs, and so students new to programming really like
> it. Interestingly, some of the students who have programmed before
> sometimes
> complained that Python was just a toy scripting language, and why weren't
> we
> teaching them C++ (because that what video games are written in, don't you
> know).

If they serious about video games, they (I was surprised myself to find)
should be learning Lisp ;).

I am always interested in a language's 3d resources, so in investigating
those of Lisp I was surprised to find the role it play in the development of
modern video games.  A direct link can be made between the early Lisp
machines and Super Mario Brothers, a link which winds its way through
Symbolics, Inc., to Nichimen Graphics, and is still quite alive at Izware

http://www.izware.com

Gaming consoles like Nintendo apparently developed as special purpose
machines with a direct Lisp machine heritage.  Who knew.

Art