wartik (03/23/83)
I recall hearing about an experiment at Temple University where "pure", i.e. non-iterative, LISP was taught to beginning programmers. The results? First, at the end of the course the students were introduced to iterative structures, and most had difficulty understanding their need. Second, they were writing programs that solved much harder problems then their counterparts in FORTRAN classes, because they had much less to learn -- no DO loops or assignment statements to master. My conclusion? You can teach beginning programmers to use recursion effectively. The difficulty comes in learning one method after you know the other. Clarification, since the net is also debating the merits of LISP, BASIC, et. al. vs. Pascal: This is NOT an endorsement of LISP! Although I do prefer it to FORTRAN. -- Steve Wartik decvax!trw-unix!trwspp!wartik P.S. If anybody knows more about the experiment at Temple, particularly any follow-up studies, I'd be interested to hear it.