> I am a high school math teacher and would like to reestablish computer
> programming as a course offering. I will probably only have a '286 lab
> available to me. My first inclination is to use Turbo Pascal as I
> always felt it was an excellent learning language. Opinions? Which
> version do you recommend? Also, any recommendations on
> texts/references?

   Yes, TP is an excellent tool with which to teach Pascal, probably the
best computer "teaching language".  And you could certainly accomplish a
lot on a (mere) '286 with any version of TP, insofar as teaching the
fundamentals of programming and computer languages.  I taught Pascal in
college for 9 years (although it didn't focus on TP, and the school's lab
used UCSD or HP Pascal systems - no choice there), and most of my
students had TP for home/private use.
   The problems you're likely to have are (1) finding a text to use (few
Pascal books are in print), (2) acquiring a TP version to use (Borland
doesn't market or support TP any more, although they seem to "sell"
TP7.0), (3) dealing with the Borland/TP extensions versus the standard
Pascal language (I/o, system interfaces, etc.) and (4) the impatience of
youth and their desires/attempts to build stuff (games, graphics, BBSes,
etc.) well beyond the scope of the material you're teaching.  Oh, yes,
and the widespread (mis)use of the Internet for obtaining unethical aid
by your students...for that, you'd be well advised to monitor these NGs
to see what's being requested/demanded here which might look like your
assignments.  8<{{
   In any case, you will be welcome here to get more help in this
endeavor.  Good luck!

Mike Copeland

Mike Copeland (mrcope@primenet.com) wrote:
: > I am a high school math teacher and would like to reestablish computer
: > programming as a course offering. I will probably only have a '286 lab
: > available to me. My first inclination is to use Turbo Pascal as I

:    The problems you're likely to have are (1) finding a text to use (few
: Pascal books are in print),

        There should be some TP tutors in electronic form,
and this newsgroup surely reflects some learning directions,
(if comeone can point out the bad habits?).
        The advantage of Turbo Pascal is in providing the
student with exercises which are enjoyable (graphics, etc.),
and this enables the teacher to participate in the material
the student would otherwise be doing alone with TP.

: (2) acquiring a TP version to use (Borland doesn't market
: or support TP any more, although they seem to "sell" TP7.0),

       I guess what you mean is each student acquiring a
legal copy of the version to be used in class.   Surely
Borland has some program available for this, otherwise
this could be the reason they don't market and support it. :-)

: (3) dealing with the Borland/TP extensions versus the standard
: Pascal language (I/o, system interfaces, etc.)

       It is good for a student to learn the extensions,
because in the real world the compiler they will be
using will have extension libraries, and learning to
use them will give the student a better chance of filling
the urgent need for programmers in the USA, even though
the student will probably need to learn C or a database
to get the big paying jobs.   (NOTE!   The number of
natural born Americans in the 18 to 26 year age group
is 6 millen LESS than it was in 1988, and this is sure
to cause a great need for programmers, in addition to
the still growing business computer usage).

: and (4) the impatience of youth and their desires/attempts to
: build stuff (games, graphics, BBSes, etc.) well beyond the
: scope of the material you're teaching.

      That is _the_ reason to use TP in the classroom,
to make those things part of the course, it is certain
to provide the student with more inititive, and that
is all they need, they certainly have the ability (The
best BBS program, IMO (QuickBBS) was written by a 15
uear old boy).
      It is of the utmost importance for a student to
have subject matter which noth challenges and intersts
them, I see no reason to restrict learning Pascal to
the original capability, but the good habits and
form should still be the object, even, and especially,
with Turbo Pascal.   I see a lot of code that looks
like C or BASIC here, and it is a nightmare to try
to modify, even for the author after a few years. :-)

: Oh, yes,
: and the widespread (mis)use of the Internet for obtaining unethical aid
: by your students...for that, you'd be well advised to monitor these NGs
: to see what's being requested/demanded here which might look like your
: assignments.  8<{{

       I think the concern by some of students obtaining "help"
here or anyplace else may be overblown, my frank opinion is
that other people's code is garbage and unreadable, so I feel
the students will develop their own style and abilities, and
everyone will be better off.
       I have been programming Turbo Pascal for 12 years and
I can count the number of times I have been able to use other
people's code on the fingers of one hand!  Not that I haven't
learned from seeing code, I jist haven't been able to use it.
       I have downloaded countless source code routines, and
looked at them and almost immediately erased them.   My biggest
objection to other people's source code is the undue complexity,
and this is what will keep the student from using it, and will
also notify the teacher if they do use it.
       Turbo Pascal should be the ultimate modular language,
but it should also be the least complex, and the most readable,
with procedure calls (procedure names) fully describing the
task of the procedure.
       And Turbo Pascal is certainly the compiler of choice
for learning the most used machine in the world, the other
major operating system uses the C language, and anyone
interested in working as a programmer should learn both,
but Turbo Pascal _first_!

Ken Fischer

Scott Gunderson wrote:
>
> Please help.
>
> I am a high school math teacher and would like to reestablish computer
> programming as a course offering. I will probably only have a '286 lab
> available to me. My first inclination is to use Turbo Pascal as I
> always felt it was an excellent learning language. Opinions? Which
> version do you recommend? Also, any recommendations on
> texts/references?

I saw that Mr. Copeland already answered your question very good.
One additional hint: On 286 I suggest TP 6, not BP 7. It has to
do with the DPMI usage of the IDE (the integrated development
environment, containing editor, compiler and debug tools).

TP 6 has full power with object oriented programming,
which I think is the best thing invented since ALGOL. And it
has all necessary stuff, like inline Assembler etc. It is only
limited in heap space, since it does not have DPMI.

Franz Glaser