Re: intro

On Fri, Oct 29, 1999 at 12:02:12PM -0400, Steve Lane wrote:
 > which modules do you teach?
Day 1: none.
Day 2: Getopt::Std.
Day 3: little bit of CGI (just in an example).

 > do you require your students to use strict and warnings?

I am fanatical about it.  Whenever I show them an example I always type the 
-w and use strict even for a 1-liner.  I show them only lexical variables 
and explain to them that if they have to maintain code that doesn't look 
like that, they should demand that it be returned to them generating no 
messages under -w and strict.  Because otherwise, it would take me about a 
day just to explain all the things to them that they'd need to know to 
maintain such bad code, and they'd really resent it.  Some people say "But 
I've written some programs before without -w or use strict, and I didn't 
have to use this 'my' thing," and I tell them those days are over.  I don't 
even mention dynamic variables until the object-oriented class I'm 
currently designing for a day 4, when it's kinda unavoidable :-)

 > do you assign in-class tests or quizzes?

About 4 hands-on exercises a day.  1 or 2 people per keyboard.

 > can anyone give examples of the more advanced assignments
 > you give? (i assign a shopping catalog/cart CGI application,
 > and a webpage link-checker, for example.)

I'm not giving homework here... the exercises are picked for what they can 
do in 20-40 minutes, since this isn't a class they return to days 
later.  If you have students who can create a shopping cart in 40 minutes 
I'd like to know more...

--
Peter Scott
Pacific Systems Design Technologies