20 Sep 2000

Wed, 20 Sep 2000 10:12:40 GMT

~10:00

Hi all. it seems that umist teaches c/c++. to someone with a mathematical/ functional bent like me, it makes me feel sick. i dont mean to offend anyone (but i guess i will anyway) but c is just too low level to be used as an application programming language. and it's weakly typed (this is an issue, because well typed programs will mostly work first time they pass the type checker. (but exceptions arfe another story)). at least they have a copy of sicp in the library :)

theres not too much higher order stuff in the course (which is a common first year shared between software neginerring etc), otoh, maybe they percieve it as being rather academic. some things about functional languages are hard, esp. pure ones. ie: Monads. but not the core stuff. i'll have to ask my tutor when i meet him, i guess.

13:30

it seems that functional languages are not taught because maths is not a requirement for all of the subjects in the common first year. bummer.

16 Sep 2000

Sat, 16 Sep 2000 11:23:54 GMT

cmm: thanks for certifying me, but i would say i am more at apprentice level. oh well. you've got a good philosphy though. (sexp-fiend?) -> #t.

but you must admit, freeform grammars are easier for non-hackers, but mainly because of the way maths is taught. maybe in an alternate reality, arithmetic uses cambridge polish notation. we can but dream.

meatspace: as with many people at the moment (or soon) i an going to university this sunday. it should be fun. scary but fun. unfortunately, due to the petrol crisis in the uk, i will probably have to take the train. and unless i can find some nice large padded bags, i will be unable to take my computer. oh me! oh my!

i think they (umist) use novell. eeuwww.

Advogato blog for ceri

20 Sep 2000

16 Sep 2000