Using C for the First Programming Course

[Tim Evans]

In article <2800 at ncsuvx.ncsu.edu>, fostel at cscadm.ncsu.edu (Gary Fostel) writes:
> 
>     It is widely assumed by many CSC types, that Pascal is the only
>     proper and practical way to introduce programming. Furhter, it is
>     commonly asserted that C is a particularly bad choice of languages
>     for the first course.
	
	[ stuff deleted ]
> 
>     I am however, interested in hearing about university level courses
>     that use C for the "first programming course".

I took C Programming as _my_ first programming course at a community
college; it was not the college's "first" programming course.  The
instructor allowed me into the class based on my having done *NIX
shell programming for several years.  I don't know whether this has
any value to the poster, but I was very amused to hear the instructor
say--on numerous occasions--the he couldn't "teach" C.  Rather, he
said, C "is like a great big wheel"--you have to start someplace and
learn dumb stuff that doesn't make any sense and isn't useful in any
way until someday it all dawns on you.  How would it sound if your
French teacher stood up in front of the class and said "I can't teach
you French because it's a great big wheel, but stay in class and one
day we'll all go to France and voila!  you will speak French fluently."
Or maybe like Professor Harold Hill, who told the good folks of River
City not to worry about the fact their kids weren't _practicing_ with
the new musical instruments--they were learning with the Professor
Harold Hill (Gary Conservatory of Music Gold Medal Class of '05) "think
method."

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