Comments for Loshin.com http://loshin.com Sat, 15 Oct 2011 20:21:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on More Active Resources for Programming by Rajesh M http://loshin.com/2010/11/19/more-active-resources-for-programming/#comment-81 Rajesh M Sat, 15 Oct 2011 20:21:14 +0000 http://loshin.com/?p=65#comment-81 Have you seen Programr.com ? Programr lets you practice programming in any language, right in your browser. Have you seen Programr.com ?
Programr lets you practice programming in any language, right in your browser.

]]> Comment on Resources for Learning to Program by Peter http://loshin.com/2011/01/09/resources-for-learning-to-program/#comment-53 Peter Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:36:36 +0000 http://listacular.com/?p=157#comment-53 Interesting. The short answer is that the world seems to be moving back to the same basics you learned, starting from a command line interface and coding that program to output "Hello World". Pretty much every "learning programming" resource I've been looking into starts even before Hello World, with one or more introductory chapters on how to use the OS to install the programming environment and execute commands. For whatever it's worth, even the resources that tout "learning to program by creating games" still use the same text-oriented, command line driven programming techniques that you learned. As elegant as Logo and its variants may be, it's still a toy programming language in the sense that I've yet to see anything particularly useful or interesting coded with it. Kids know the difference between real tools and toys, and Logo is a toy while Python is definitely a tool. Interesting. The short answer is that the world seems to be moving back to the same basics you learned, starting from a command line interface and coding that program to output “Hello World”. Pretty much every “learning programming” resource I’ve been looking into starts even before Hello World, with one or more introductory chapters on how to use the OS to install the programming environment and execute commands.

For whatever it’s worth, even the resources that tout “learning to program by creating games” still use the same text-oriented, command line driven programming techniques that you learned.

As elegant as Logo and its variants may be, it’s still a toy programming language in the sense that I’ve yet to see anything particularly useful or interesting coded with it. Kids know the difference between real tools and toys, and Logo is a toy while Python is definitely a tool.

]]> Comment on Resources for Learning to Program by David Loshin http://loshin.com/2011/01/09/resources-for-learning-to-program/#comment-52 David Loshin Mon, 17 Jan 2011 19:32:35 +0000 http://listacular.com/?p=157#comment-52 One of the methods integrated within the "Logo" concept (and propagated throughout other approaches) for teaching kids to program focused on differentiating programming from problem solving. I wonder how these posts reflect the different philosophies? When I learned to program, the starting technique was "Hello, World," or learing the basics of writing, compiling, and executing a program that did one simple thing: print out a single line. Today, one might say that the command line has been made extinct, having been overtaken by visual interface, which requires a different thought process. Game programming may take that even further. But to what extent is game programming addressing approaches to problem solving? One of the methods integrated within the “Logo” concept (and propagated throughout other approaches) for teaching kids to program focused on differentiating programming from problem solving. I wonder how these posts reflect the different philosophies?

When I learned to program, the starting technique was “Hello, World,” or learing the basics of writing, compiling, and executing a program that did one simple thing: print out a single line. Today, one might say that the command line has been made extinct, having been overtaken by visual interface, which requires a different thought process. Game programming may take that even further. But to what extent is game programming addressing approaches to problem solving?

]]> Comment on Learning Programming, Part One by Resources for Learning How to Program PART ONE | Loshin.com http://loshin.com/2010/11/09/learning-programming-part-one/#comment-2 Resources for Learning How to Program PART ONE | Loshin.com Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:53:10 +0000 http://loshin.com/?p=7#comment-2 [...] Loshin.com Skip to content HomeAbout ← Learning Programming, Part One [...] [...] Loshin.com Skip to content HomeAbout ← Learning Programming, Part One [...]

]]> Comment on Some more list applications by Andrew Werhane http://loshin.com/2010/10/04/some-more-list-applications/#comment-30 Andrew Werhane Wed, 03 Nov 2010 17:52:48 +0000 http://listacular.com/?p=55#comment-30 Thanks for the suggestions of other List sites. Lunch.com allows users to create lists of just about anything and then include video or comments for each item as to why that topic made the list. Here's a list of lists http://www.lunch.com/Activity-activity_filter_userList-3-1-1.html and here an example of the "Sexiest Cartoon Characters" http://www.lunch.com/Awesomeness/Lists-163-2652-The_Sexiest_Cartoon_Characters.html. Thanks for the suggestions of other List sites. Lunch.com allows users to create lists of just about anything and then include video or comments for each item as to why that topic made the list. Here’s a list of lists http://www.lunch.com/Activity-activity_filter_userList-3-1-1.html

and here an example of the “Sexiest Cartoon Characters” http://www.lunch.com/Awesomeness/Lists-163-2652-The_Sexiest_Cartoon_Characters.html.

]]> Comment on How to design a database for lists, PART ZERO: Methodology by Designing a database for lists, PART TWO: Ta-Da List | Listacular!!! http://loshin.com/2010/10/22/how-to-design-a-database-for-lists-part-zero-methodology/#comment-33 Designing a database for lists, PART TWO: Ta-Da List | Listacular!!! Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:13:12 +0000 http://listacular.com/?p=73#comment-33 [...] you need to start from the beginning, check out How to design a database for lists, PART ZERO: Methodology and Designing a database for lists, PART ONE: Remember the Milk. I’d recommend it, actually, [...] [...] you need to start from the beginning, check out How to design a database for lists, PART ZERO: Methodology and Designing a database for lists, PART ONE: Remember the Milk. I’d recommend it, actually, [...]

]]> Comment on Designing a database for lists, PART ONE: Remember the Milk by Mike http://loshin.com/2010/10/28/designing-a-database-for-lists-part-one-remember-the-milk/#comment-36 Mike Fri, 29 Oct 2010 11:44:18 +0000 http://listacular.com/?p=70#comment-36 Sorry, I have no idea data is stored. TaskPaper is simple. Almost too simple since there are no dates or reminders. It is being rewritten to sync with Dropbox and have a seamless backup and update so that the desktop and iPhone lists are the same. Right now there is a semi functioning and mostly useless process which is prone to errors. If and when Dropbox is implemented and you don't need dates or reminders, this may be useful. Hard for me to see how this would work for me. I am and have been a hardcore Remember the Milk user since it is was released. Sorry, I have no idea data is stored. TaskPaper is simple. Almost too simple since there are no dates or reminders. It is being rewritten to sync with Dropbox and have a seamless backup and update so that the desktop and iPhone lists are the same. Right now there is a semi functioning and mostly useless process which is prone to errors.

If and when Dropbox is implemented and you don’t need dates or reminders, this may be useful. Hard for me to see how this would work for me. I am and have been a hardcore Remember the Milk user since it is was released.

]]> Comment on Designing a database for lists, PART ONE: Remember the Milk by Peter Loshin http://loshin.com/2010/10/28/designing-a-database-for-lists-part-one-remember-the-milk/#comment-35 Peter Loshin Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:47:40 +0000 http://listacular.com/?p=70#comment-35 Thanks for the input! It looks very interesting--do you know how data is stored in TaskPaper? It almost seems like a special-purpose text editor, as if custom-coded in Emacs (IMO a good thing for its simplicity). Lack of a free/trial version is a deal-killer for me, especially at $9.99 for the iPod/iPhone app and $29.99 for the OS X version. I'd be interested in how lists are stored, and how data is exported/imported. Thanks for the input! It looks very interesting–do you know how data is stored in TaskPaper? It almost seems like a special-purpose text editor, as if custom-coded in Emacs (IMO a good thing for its simplicity).

Lack of a free/trial version is a deal-killer for me, especially at $9.99 for the iPod/iPhone app and $29.99 for the OS X version. I’d be interested in how lists are stored, and how data is exported/imported.

]]> Comment on Designing a database for lists, PART ONE: Remember the Milk by Mike http://loshin.com/2010/10/28/designing-a-database-for-lists-part-one-remember-the-milk/#comment-34 Mike Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:58:32 +0000 http://listacular.com/?p=70#comment-34 Simple is TaskPaper www.hogbaysoftware.com Simple is TaskPaper

http://www.hogbaysoftware.com

]]> Comment on How to design a database for lists, PART ZERO: Methodology by Designing a database for lists, PART ONE: Remember the Milk | Listacular!!! http://loshin.com/2010/10/22/how-to-design-a-database-for-lists-part-zero-methodology/#comment-32 Designing a database for lists, PART ONE: Remember the Milk | Listacular!!! Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:16:03 +0000 http://listacular.com/?p=73#comment-32 [...] The very first thing I discovered, after noting that there are at least five (and possibly more) “things” that probably get their own tables in the RtM database, was that in no sense should you call Remember the Milk a simple list application. I have a feeling that, although RtM isn’t a simple list application, it throws into grave doubt my earlier conjectures about simple list application databases. [...] [...] The very first thing I discovered, after noting that there are at least five (and possibly more) “things” that probably get their own tables in the RtM database, was that in no sense should you call Remember the Milk a simple list application. I have a feeling that, although RtM isn’t a simple list application, it throws into grave doubt my earlier conjectures about simple list application databases. [...]

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