Quote:
Originally Posted by javajava
Dude you didn't have to be a dick about it. And it's not my opinion. I really don't get how drag and drop teaches computer programming. Geeesh
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Drag and drop doesn't require you to memorize syntax. However, as most experienced programmers know, memorizing syntax and learning how to program are two entirely different things. For example, you can write a linked list with essentially the same properties in both Java and VB.net, but the syntax is considerably different between the two languages. It is the concept of the creation and use of the linked list that is important, not the syntax in which it is written.
You can animate a 3D object in Alice 2.0, Java3D, and assembler. However, it is much easier in Alice than in Java3D, not because of the presence of drag and drop, but because Alice has built-in 3D functionality. It is also easier in Java3D than in assembler because Java3D is a higher-level language.
You can create a 2D game using Java with a text editor or with Java using Greenfoot. However, it is easier using Greenfoot than simply using a text editor because Greenfoot has built-in 2D graphics capability. In the final analysis, however, they are both Java but you must understand much more about programming to do the job using a text editor.
You can create a Java GUI with event-driven programming using a text editor or using either Eclipse or NetBeans, but it is more difficult using a text editor because you have to understand more about what you are doing when you program Java using a text editor. As I recall, both Eclipse and NetBeans create skeleton code for you and provide code-completion capability, but a text editor does not.
I can't know for sure, but I strongly suspect that, essentially without your knowledge, your high school Java teacher allows you to use some kind of high-level Java IDE to make your Java programming easier than would be the case using a simple text editor. If you really want to understand Java programming, throw away the high-level IDE and learn to program event-driven GUI programs using a text editor or learn how to program 3D worlds using Java3D and a text editor.
There are many programming tools that are available ranging from Alice drag and drop at the very high end to assemblers at the very low end with several levels in between. The true sign of programming knowledge is recognizing the most appropriate tool for the programming task at hand.
Keep studying and someday you will understand what programming is all about.
Dick Baldwin
Free Alice tutorials:
http://www.dickbaldwin.com/tocalice.htm
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Free Java/C#, etc. tutorials:
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