Re: noob
Re: noob
- Subject: Re: noob
- From: Chris Hanson <email@hidden>
- Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2007 03:08:10 -0800
On Dec 22, 2007, at 2:43 AM, Thomas Engelmeier wrote:
Or just use a language (AppleScript, JavaScript, Python, SmallTalk,
Lua, etc...) that doesn't have pointers.
Oh, come on. All these languages suffer as 'beginners choice' from a
very simple drawback: There is no real debugger (*)
We're getting pretty far afield from on-topic conversation here, but
the above is quite inaccurate. You followed with a correction for
AppleScript, but the rest of the listed languages also have debuggers
available. And as they all have a more straightforward execution
model, their debuggers are also more straightforward.
Smalltalk environments in particular have had full-fledged graphical
debugging support -- with fix-and-continue support and interactive,
extensible inspectors -- since around the time Apple was first
founded. A lot of what we consider a "real" debugger today was
developed for Smalltalk or for the Lisp Machine.
Python comes with the pdb module with lets you interactively debug
Python programs, and there are other Python debuggers.
Ruby comes with a debugger, and there are many additional debugging
tools available.
There are Lua debuggers available, built atop the debugging APIs
provided with Lua.
And -- to bring this back on-topic -- Dashcode includes JavaScript
debugging support, as does Safari itself (see the WebKit site for
details and WebKit nightly builds).
I for one would love to see some introductory programming material
that builds atop Dashcode. It's a great environment for easing into
software development, it's included with the Mac OS X developer tools,
and JavaScript is a good language to learn from a theoretical/
instructional standpoint -- it has first-class functions, data
structures, no access to machine pointers, a straightforward execution
model...
-- Chris
_______________________________________________
Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.
Xcode-users mailing list (email@hidden)
Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription:
This email sent to email@hidden
| References: | |
| | >Re: noob (From: Jeffrey Oleander <email@hidden>) |
| | >Re: noob (From: Thomas Engelmeier <email@hidden>) |
| | >Re: noob (From: Laurence Harris <email@hidden>) |
| | >Re: noob (From: glenn andreas <email@hidden>) |
| | >Re: noob (From: Thomas Engelmeier <email@hidden>) |