[plt-scheme] The Schematics of Computation?

On Apr 10, 2008, at 8:50 AM, Prabhakar Ragde wrote:
> Some in the previous categories dismiss it as too simple or too  
> slow, but I don't think that's accurate.


Thanks. The judgment tends to be based on one of two approaches. The  
common one is to flip through the book, look at some code figures in  
the first few chapters and dismiss it because it doesn't do recursion  
on the second page. Eh Git!? Yuck! How could they spoil Scheme's  
power by not crushing the kids within 5 pages?

A few people do take the time to read a part of a book before they  
make a judgment. (Most don't have the time, so they think.) So they  
read Chapter I. And that chapter is slooowww. It takes some 80+ pages  
to cover 'obvious' stuff and -- you won't believe it -- they  
introduce a design recipe for that slow stuff on top.  ## We added  
this chapter for high schools so that they can ease into the design  
approach. In college we cover it in two or three lectures. I guess  
it's a strategic mistake.

;; ---

As for graphics and geometry: YES! HtDP/2e will incorporate graphics  
and animations from the first page. See

  Why Computer Science Doesn’t Matter
  http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/matthias/Essays/not-matter.html

why the "hello world" program in HtDP will be the "lift off" program  
in HtDP/2e.

-- Matthias