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D - Tutorial Course Project?

reply Helmut Leitner <leitner hls.via.at> writes:
Recently Andrew Edwards posted ein translation of the Mercenne Twister pseudo
random 
generator. During private discussion it showed that he is a 30-year old
beginning programmer
who really wants to get his hands dirty (only few do), but doesn't know how to
go about it.

While I would like to help him, it's too inefficient to do this privatly.

But done in the public this could offer a number of synergies:

   - There might be others, who want to learn or who want to tutor. 

   - The communications and examples could be a start for larger D tutorial.
     Maybe Justin's "very short D tutorial" http://jcc_7.tripod.com/d/ could be
enlarged
     or the material at least gathered in the Wiki4D, or later in Benji's
repository.

   - The experiences in teaching D could also give valuable information for the
standard
     library development. 

A lot of people here think that D is a good language, not only for programming
veterans,
but also for newcomers. Maybe we can prove this?

So the initial plan might be this: 

   - Let's do a "Tutorial D Course" for a period of about 3 months, 
     starting about Nov 7, 2003. This gives us time to plan it.

   - The course can happen when at least 3 people attend it
     (there's a maximum of 8, Andrew has a reservation if he wants)
     participants should plan with an average time of 1 hour per day
     to work on the tasks and participate in the discussions.

   - The course can happen when at least 3 people tutor it
     (there's a maximum of 5 tutors, I volunteer if there is a need) 
     I'm sure that the tutors can learn at least as much as the
     participants. Also about one hour per day to prepare the
     examples and to help with the solutions.

The course plan is open for discussion. I think that after a short
introduction to get everybody going, each level might consist of 
small number of tasks (simple..medium) that should be solved within 
3-5 days and then the presentation and discussion of the various 
solutions and problems (also of general programming or problem
solving nature). This might take another 3-5 days. So we could do
about 6-8 rounds and develop about 20-30 example programs...
...but these are only my initial ideas - feel free to refactor.

Communication: I think that we could talk Walter into opening a separate
newsgroup for such a project. Things of permanent value could be stored in 
the Wiki4D or any other editable repository or community space then
available.

Anyone interested in working this out, participating, tutoring
or hosting?

-- 
Helmut Leitner    leitner hls.via.at
Graz, Austria   www.hls-software.com
Oct 03 2003
next sibling parent "Walter" <walter digitalmars.com> writes:
"Helmut Leitner" <leitner hls.via.at> wrote in message
news:3F7D335E.9FF34229 hls.via.at...

 Recently Andrew Edwards posted ein translation of the Mercenne Twister


pseudo random

 generator. During private discussion it showed that he is a 30-year old


beginning programmer

 who really wants to get his hands dirty (only few do), but doesn't know


how to go about it.

 While I would like to help him, it's too inefficient to do this privatly.

 But done in the public this could offer a number of synergies:

    - There might be others, who want to learn or who want to tutor.

    - The communications and examples could be a start for larger D


tutorial.

      Maybe Justin's "very short D tutorial" http://jcc_7.tripod.com/d/


could be enlarged

      or the material at least gathered in the Wiki4D, or later in Benji's


repository.

    - The experiences in teaching D could also give valuable information


for the standard

      library development.

 A lot of people here think that D is a good language, not only for


programming veterans,

 but also for newcomers. Maybe we can prove this?

 So the initial plan might be this:

    - Let's do a "Tutorial D Course" for a period of about 3 months,
      starting about Nov 7, 2003. This gives us time to plan it.

    - The course can happen when at least 3 people attend it
      (there's a maximum of 8, Andrew has a reservation if he wants)
      participants should plan with an average time of 1 hour per day
      to work on the tasks and participate in the discussions.

    - The course can happen when at least 3 people tutor it
      (there's a maximum of 5 tutors, I volunteer if there is a need)
      I'm sure that the tutors can learn at least as much as the
      participants. Also about one hour per day to prepare the
      examples and to help with the solutions.

 The course plan is open for discussion. I think that after a short
 introduction to get everybody going, each level might consist of
 small number of tasks (simple..medium) that should be solved within
 3-5 days and then the presentation and discussion of the various
 solutions and problems (also of general programming or problem
 solving nature). This might take another 3-5 days. So we could do
 about 6-8 rounds and develop about 20-30 example programs...
 ...but these are only my initial ideas - feel free to refactor.

 Communication: I think that we could talk Walter into opening a separate
 newsgroup for such a project. Things of permanent value could be stored in
 the Wiki4D or any other editable repository or community space then
 available.

 Anyone interested in working this out, participating, tutoring
 or hosting?


I think it's a good idea. A tutorial is sorely lacking.
Oct 03 2003
prev sibling next sibling parent Brad Anderson <brad sankaty.com> writes:
 
    - There might be others, who want to learn or who want to tutor. 


I am in a similar situation as Andrew.  I'm not a total beginner (well, okay,
VB 
and beginner Java may not count too much) but would be a student of this 
tutorial.  At the same time, I could help teach if I already know the subject.

I have a sizable project that is in no rush and can be in prototype for a
while. 
  D is perfect for DbC and UnitTests as well as easy string manipulation and
GC, 
and yet is compiled natively, a requirement.


 
    - The communications and examples could be a start for larger D tutorial.
      Maybe Justin's "very short D tutorial" http://jcc_7.tripod.com/d/ could
be enlarged
      or the material at least gathered in the Wiki4D, or later in Benji's
repository.
 


The communications and examples would be a tremendous resource for people 
encountering the same issues as this initial group.  Making them accessible via 
a good search tool is key.


    - The experiences in teaching D could also give valuable information for
the standard
      library development. 


I'm sure we'll uncover some of the biggest needs, and possibly start a priority 
list.

So, sign me up, and let me know how I can help plan the course...
Oct 03 2003
prev sibling next sibling parent "Andrew Edwards" <edwardsac spamfreeusa.com> writes:
"Helmut Leitner" <leitner hls.via.at> wrote...

    - Let's do a "Tutorial D Course" for a period of about 3 months,
      starting about Nov 7, 2003. This gives us time to plan it.

    - The course can happen when at least 3 people attend it
      (there's a maximum of 8, Andrew has a reservation if he wants)


Opportunities like these don't come my way very often. Sign me up please,
for I'm in no position to refuse such a generous offer.


 -- 
 Helmut Leitner    leitner hls.via.at
 Graz, Austria   www.hls-software.com


Thanks a million,

Andrew
Oct 03 2003
prev sibling next sibling parent J C Calvarese <jcc7 cox.net> writes:
Helmut Leitner wrote:

 Recently Andrew Edwards posted ein translation of the Mercenne Twister pseudo
random 
 generator. During private discussion it showed that he is a 30-year old
beginning programmer
 who really wants to get his hands dirty (only few do), but doesn't know how to
go about it.
 
 While I would like to help him, it's too inefficient to do this privatly.
 
 But done in the public this could offer a number of synergies:
 
    - There might be others, who want to learn or who want to tutor. 
 
    - The communications and examples could be a start for larger D tutorial.
      Maybe Justin's "very short D tutorial" http://jcc_7.tripod.com/d/ could
be enlarged
      or the material at least gathered in the Wiki4D, or later in Benji's
repository.


There's another D tutorial at http://www.dprogramming.com/tutorial.php. 
(I added this to http://www.wikiservice.at/d/wiki.cgi?D__Tutorial.)


 
    - The experiences in teaching D could also give valuable information for
the standard
      library development. 
 
 A lot of people here think that D is a good language, not only for programming
veterans,
 but also for newcomers. Maybe we can prove this?


I agree.  At my alma mater, the Computer Science 101 class learned using 
Java (I think they used Pascal until a few years ago).  The engineers 
are required to learn FORTRAN (yuck!).  In my opinion, once a textbook 
is written, D would be as good of a "first language" as anything.

Justin
Oct 04 2003
prev sibling parent reply Helmut Leitner <leitner hls.via.at> writes:
Just for information I report this private communication regarding
a generous offering of sample programs by Jeandré du Toit:


Jeandré du Toit wrote:

 I am busy writing small programs that could be useful for tutorials. Let me
 know where I can help.

 Jeandre






....


Jeandré,

thank you for your offer to help. I'll mail you as soon as the project is
sure to start.

May I post our little communication to the newsgroup so that the community
notices this response?




....


 
 Thanks, please do. I ment to submit to the newsgroup, I was wondering why my
 post never got displayed ;)
 
 Cheers
 Jeandre
 


I'll also post a summary of the current state of the project about mid-October.

-- 
Helmut Leitner    leitner hls.via.at
Graz, Austria   www.hls-software.com
Oct 08 2003
parent J C Calvarese <jcc7 cox.net> writes:
Helmut Leitner wrote:

Jeandré du Toit wrote:


I am busy writing small programs that could be useful for tutorials. Let me
know where I can help.








...

Jeandré,

thank you for your offer to help. I'll mail you as soon as the project is
sure to start.






...

 
 I'll also post a summary of the current state of the project about mid-October.


Helmut,

You or anyone else is welcome to use, modify, expand, quote, misquote, 
or plagarize my tutorial pages (http://jcc_7.tripod.com/d/tutor/) if it 
helps the course.  I also have uploaded some assorted examples at 
http://jcc_7.tripod.com/d/ that you are free to use.

I'd also like to follow the communication of the tutorial course.  I 
don't think I have the time to commit to be a full-time teacher (or 
maybe I should be a student?), but I may be able to offer assistance 
from time to time.

Justin
Oct 13 2003