No Thoughts about Everything

[Arthur]

On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 19:46:53 +0100, bblochl <bblochl at fh-lausitz.de>
wrote:

>Obviously you assume I try to torture people with that task of "production programming" as you name it. 
>That is absoluteley not my stile. Exactly prevention was the reason I was looking for a solution in the meagre and
> precise form of the word "final" in python as well to hand it as a tool to the people. So to my regret
> I recognize now that in python there is a comparable self explaining solution as in JAVA not avalaible and
> I have to split off that in many (even simple) applications very helpful and as a programming concept interesting feature. 

In fairness, it was I who introduced the term "production
programming".  Dave actually rejected the characterization. 

>
>But I hope you will not be convinced that explaining the meaning and applying the five letters of the JAVA-modifier 
>"final" is too much for a one year JAVA course for university scientists?
> Even after PISA - that is not only an italien city - I can not belief that! 

I absolutely agree that the java modifier should be taught in a Java
class.  But probably not in a Python class - for the obvious reason.

My experience was that the need to deal with the Java OO modifiers
makes the learning experience rote, before its time.  The method and
class modifiers do become meaningful, but well after one has the core
OO concepts under one's belt, by having acutally written some
independant Code.  But since the modifiers must be there in one form
or another - from the beginning - every introduction to the language I
have seen makes them a Big Thing, up front. And, therefore, the
population of those who get to the point of writing independant Code,
is dwindled.  Those without a taste for what - at that point - seems
like obscure formalism, drop off.  Who are probably some of the
brighter ones.

Python works much better as an introduction to OO programming.  IMO,
based on my expereince.

Art