Programming C, C++, Java, PHP, Ruby, Turing, VB
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Dan




PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 5:31 pm   Post subject: (No subject)

Witch is why for CompSci peoleop at least they should not be teaching to a spficet progaming lang but rather to consecpts. I blive that for the most part they are doing this well (from what i can tell from my uni) tho they tend to throw in alot of sutff that find is unrealted to CompSci on the math side just to keep the avgs noramlized. (Yes i know math can help devlop the same logic and ideas that are psotive in CS but there is a limit).

My worry is that comanpys like M$ will start pushing unis to stop teaching the conspects and start teaching just what they need, so the unis will be doing there work for them.

Also i find that one thing poeleop seem to miss about unis is that some of the most importnt lessions you leran will not be the class room and is part of the unvierity excirnce. Sadly i feal the admiseration of many unis dose not see this and is trying to cut back to the basicks.
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wtd




PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 5:57 pm   Post subject: (No subject)

A programming language is necessary. There's just no way around it. You need to be able to demonstrate the concepts in action.

However, this does not mean all is lost. You simply need to find programming languages that express concepts as directly as possible.
Dan




PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 8:46 pm   Post subject: (No subject)

Obvesly you need to have one to study it. I am just saying that the uni should only be using 1 or teaching just to the lang like they do in high school i find. At LU so far they have used a difrent langue each corse. I like this since it gives expricnes with both conspects and difrent langures and makes one be more able to aptaped to anything that comes up.
Computer Science Canada Help with programming in C, C++, Java, PHP, Ruby, Turing, VB and more!
wtd




PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 8:59 pm   Post subject: (No subject)

The other idea is to say: "Here's a problem. Solve it. I don't care what language you use."
Martin




PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 9:01 pm   Post subject: (No subject)

wtd wrote:
The other idea is to say: "Here's a problem. Solve it. I don't care what language you use."


They tried that in the compilers course. People chose Perl to write their parsers. Needless to say, the profs changed this the next semester.
wtd




PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 9:09 pm   Post subject: (No subject)

Perfectly good parsers can be written in Perl. Obviously if being able to understand the code is a requirement, then that kind of system can never work, but a decent set of tests should be able to determine the quality of the code.

Reasonable time restrictions will impose good coding practices.
Martin




PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 9:12 pm   Post subject: (No subject)

bugzpodder wrote:
To prove my point, will anyone from Waterloo care to post their grades/averages?


First semester my average was 87, second semester was 74 but that was because I got a 32 in CS251 for dropping it ONE day after the deadline (and before the midterm too...)

I do agree that I should be working a lot harder though. A lot of my marks could and should be a lot higher. Next year's gonna be a lot better, because I feel a lot more focused. I finally got out of CS into a program that I actually want to be in.
Martin




PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 9:14 pm   Post subject: (No subject)

wtd wrote:
Perfectly good parsers can be written in Perl. Obviously if being able to understand the code is a requirement, then that kind of system can never work, but a decent set of tests should be able to determine the quality of the code.

Reasonable time restrictions will impose good coding practices.


The problem wasn't that the parser wasn't good, but rather that it was about 30 characters of code.
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wtd




PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 9:21 pm   Post subject: (No subject)

Martin wrote:
wtd wrote:
Perfectly good parsers can be written in Perl. Obviously if being able to understand the code is a requirement, then that kind of system can never work, but a decent set of tests should be able to determine the quality of the code.

Reasonable time restrictions will impose good coding practices.


The problem wasn't that the parser wasn't good, but rather that it was about 30 characters of code.


And if it was genuinely good, then why the problem? Smile

However, I suspect that such a thing would not have held up to extensive testing.
md




PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 12:23 am   Post subject: (No subject)

I really gotta point out that this isn't in the Math faculty (which CS is part of) but rather the engineering faculty. CS is still safe; it's just the engineers who bent over for MS Wink
Tony




PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:03 am   Post subject: (No subject)

and we get all the benifits of a corporate sponsorship Laughing
Latest from compsci.ca/blog: Tony's programming blog. DWITE - a programming contest.
wtd




PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:20 am   Post subject: (No subject)

Eeh gads Tony! Do you still have a soul?

Wink
Tony




PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:46 am   Post subject: (No subject)

it's Computer / Software / Electrical that are loosing souls. Being in Mechatronics, I think I'm safe for as long as Microsoft doesn't decide to build giant mechs.
Latest from compsci.ca/blog: Tony's programming blog. DWITE - a programming contest.
bugzpodder




PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 7:20 am   Post subject: (No subject)

Quote:


First semester my average was 87, second semester was 74 but that was because I got a 32 in CS251 for dropping it ONE day after the deadline (and before the midterm too...)


thats pretty decent.
omg why would you do that... you should have at least filed a petition saying you did it by mistake. they might have let you off (add it back) for compassionate reasons. Its better than 32... you probably would have passed that course.
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