[plt-scheme] The Lambda Calculus behind functional programming

I would propose that the lack of visible end results in LC would be
due to the lack of a good IDE.  The differnce in it and other
languages would be that in LC, the underlying therory would be
available, whereas in other languages the underlying therory would not
be available, and they would then have to go learn a new language
(like LC) to understand where there doing ;)

Corey

On 8/30/07, Noel Welsh <noelwelsh at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 8/30/07, Corey Sweeney <corey.sweeney at gmail.com> wrote:
> > I personally would tend to disagree with the idea of lambda calucus
> > not being a good starting point.  (well, technically typing would be
> > the starting point :) .  Why do you think it's not a good starting
> > point?  Is it the lack of a good IDE?  (which by the way, i have a
> > solution for ;) .   I would agree that paper and pencil is not a good
> > way to start.  But for the motivated learner, I think that the lambda
> > calculus with a few moddification could be a near optimal environment.
> >
> > What are other peoples thoughts?
>
> If you mean beginning programmers, I think starting with the LC would
> quickly demotivate them.  Show them some fun stuff first, then the
> underlying theory.  Very few people come to a field to study it per
> se, but rather to learn how to produce the visible end results of the
> field.
>
> N.
>


-- 
((lambda (y) (y y)) (lambda (y) (y y)))