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   Jorge Stolfi (jorgestolfi@mas.to)'s status on Saturday, 11-Jan-2025 07:33:42 JST Jorge Stolfi

   @jbz

   My university currently uses Python for its Programming 101 courses. Previously it used C, and Pascal before that.

   Having taught those courses in all three versions, I must say that Python is much better suited to teaching the basic concepts -- such as variables, conditionals, iterations, and arrays -- than either of the other two. While it has lots of "advanced" syntax and semantic quirks, it is easy to avoid them. Whereas one could not use C without running into its quirks.🧵>

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     Jorge Stolfi (jorgestolfi@mas.to)'s status on Saturday, 11-Jan-2025 07:39:54 JST Jorge Stolfi

     in reply to

     @jbz

     🧵> However, when teaching concepts like recursion and array assignments, the teacher *must* explain the details of the mechanisms (pointers and stack) that Python is supposed to hide. I don't see how Students could grasp those concepts otherwise.

     My lectures involved lots of "dynamic" boxes-and-arrows diagrams that could only be done with chalk and eraser on a blackboard. I don't see how I could get the same effect with PowerPoint in any reasonable amount of time...