[Tutor] where to start for beginners
alan.gauld@bt.com
alan.gauld@bt.com
Mon, 15 Apr 2002 10:33:05 +0100
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> I am currently writing and teaching my brother how to program, cause
> he says he wants to make his own computer games. Should I start
> teaching him about registers, and the ALU and things like that first
No, the value of Assembler nowadays is definitely questionable apart from a
few
specialist areas - and games probably isn't one of them - especially not for
a beginner!
> , or should I teach him about flow charting and psuedo code?
Even thats not needed till things start to get more complex. IMHO of course
:-)
> I didn't really start at either one. I started with the Python tutorials
and that
> didn't go to far at first.
But do you really think the above would have helped?!
Programming is challenging, the initial learning curve is steep.
> Do any of you have any suggestions?
Well of course I'm going to suggest my tutor since it is
explicitly designed to teach programming rather than Python...
:-)
And, being serious, my book is even better because it has
more introductory concepts explained, diagrams etc.
Alan g.
Author of the 'Learning to Program' web site
http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld
<http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld>
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<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=530132909-15042002><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#0000ff>> </FONT></SPAN>I am currently writing
and teaching my brother how to program, cause <SPAN
class=530132909-15042002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=530132909-15042002><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#0000ff>> </FONT> </SPAN>he says he wants to
make his own computer games. Should I start <SPAN
class=530132909-15042002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=530132909-15042002><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#0000ff>> </FONT> </SPAN>teaching him about
registers, and the ALU and things like that first<SPAN
class=530132909-15042002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
class=530132909-15042002></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=530132909-15042002>No, the value
of Assembler nowadays is definitely questionable apart from a few
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=530132909-15042002>specialist
areas - and games probably isn't one of them - especially not for a
beginner!</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
class=530132909-15042002></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=530132909-15042002>>
</SPAN>, or should I teach him about flow charting and psuedo
code?</FONT><FONT face=Arial> <SPAN class=530132909-15042002><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
class=530132909-15042002></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=530132909-15042002>Even thats not
needed till things start to get more complex. IMHO of course
:-)</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
class=530132909-15042002></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=530132909-15042002>> </SPAN>I didn't really start at either
one. I started with the Python tutorials and that <SPAN
class=530132909-15042002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=530132909-15042002><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#0000ff>></FONT> </SPAN>didn't go to far at
first.<SPAN class=530132909-15042002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=530132909-15042002></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=530132909-15042002>But do you
really think the above would have helped?!</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=530132909-15042002>Programming is
challenging, the initial learning curve is steep.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=530132909-15042002></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=530132909-15042002><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#0000ff> > </FONT></SPAN>Do any of you
have any suggestions?<SPAN class=530132909-15042002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=530132909-15042002></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=530132909-15042002><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#0000ff>Well of course I'm going to suggest my tutor
since it is </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=530132909-15042002><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#0000ff>explicitly designed to teach programming rather
than Python... </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=530132909-15042002><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#0000ff>:-)</FONT> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=530132909-15042002></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=530132909-15042002>And, being serious, my book is even better because it
has </SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=530132909-15042002>more introductory concepts explained, diagrams
etc.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<P><FONT size=2>Alan g.<BR>Author of the 'Learning to Program' web site<BR><A
target=_blank
href="http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld">http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld</A></FONT>
</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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