Hi Richmond, You covered a lot of information in your post.
I know this message does not answer your question but when they mention C++ and object-oriented programming they are not talking about objects like fields & buttons. If you are interested in object-oriented programming you might want to skip the C++ and go straight to objective-C. John Balgenorth On Aug 11, 2015, at 10:48 AM, Richmond <richmondmathew...@gmail.com> wrote: > I am having a problem with a load of belligerent parents who seem quite > unable to understand > what LiveCode is. These parents work at the local Non-Ferrous Metals factory > and are highly skilled > engineers, but learnt their programming when I did (i.e. when the dinosaurs > were alive), and > need to be slapped with a description of the sort they can understand. > > The truth of the matter is that almost all of them are probably about a > gazillion times better at FORTAN and Pascal than I ever was . . . > > Saying things like "Hypercard on steroids" brings only blank looks as these > poor people, while > I was enjoying getting bogged down in HC in Carbondale, Illinois, were > fighting for survival during the mid-90s economic > disaster that affected post-Communist countries. > > Now I came across this: http://www.metacard.com/wp1a.html > > "Third generation includes most compiled languages, including older ones such > as Pascal, Fortran, C, BASIC (Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction > Code), and COBOL (COmmon Business Oriented Language), but also includes newer > derivatives like C++ and Java > > "Fourth generation languages are the proprietary languages used to develop > database applications > > "Scripting languages, like MetaTalk, Perl, ksh, Tcl, and Python, are most > similar to 4GLs, > but generally are even higher level and were designed to be general purpose > tools rather than specifically for dealing with databases " > > which is the sort of 'guff' they will understand [Hey, as far as I am > concerned, who gives a "monkey's" - > does the job, normally marvellously] but only goes half way. > > So . . . ? > > Am I to describe LiveCode as: > > 1. A fifth generation language? and if so, how will I explain the difference > between that and 3rd and 4th G languages? > > Directly scriptable objects? > > No compiling nonsense? > > 2. Plastic bath toys? This will turn these people (with their kids!!!!) off > instanter. > > 3. Something else? > > Being a retro sort of chap I just bought (!!!!!) /How to program C++/, second > edition, 1998 for the princely sum of 1 Euro . . . well, as far > as I'm concerned it IS worth having! > > Now, on page 10 it has this to say: > > "C++ . . . provides a number of features that "spruce up" the C language, but > more importantly, it provides capabilities for > /object-oriented programming/." > > Which, from the point of view of a long-term LiveCode monomaniac (me) looks > fine until you start looking for buttons, fields > and so forth . . . > > Anyway, the C++ is going to be my "bathroom book of the month" and we'll see > how far it gets me . . . > > HOWEVER, I am still left with these stroppy parents who cannot quite > understand what the advantages of LiveCode over Pascal, > FORTRAN and C++ might possibly be for their pre-adolescent children, because, > while those kids might learn to program > Mickey Mouse guff with LC they will still have to learn a "Real Programming" > language when they are older [ this is when I have to > sit on my hands and count to ten]. > > Richmond. > _______________________________________________ > use-livecode mailing list > use-livecode@lists.runrev.com > Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription > preferences: > http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-livecode > _______________________________________________ use-livecode mailing list use-livecode@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-livecode
