> If you want to introduce someone to programming, you probably don't want them to worry about what all those 'magic words' do.
I learned Java when i was 15 or 16, reading some random book first and then I stole 35 euros from my mother's purse and bought a copy of "Java how to program" by deitel and deitel[1]. The recommended version at the time was Java 5, and the SJCP certification was still issued by Sun Microsystems.
I can tell you, "public static void main" is not going to be the problem.
[1]: looking back (i'm in my 30ies now) sometimes I wonder if i would have been better off buying weed or alcohol (or both)
So you believe that your experience is a universal one for all learners? Cognitive load is a real consideration in teaching, and having to ignore and filter text is challenging for some folks.
The boilerplate around a main function is 10 units of load. Everything else you have to know to write a simple program is 500-600 units of load. The boilerplate is a rounding error, and just does not matter.
I learned Java when i was 15 or 16, reading some random book first and then I stole 35 euros from my mother's purse and bought a copy of "Java how to program" by deitel and deitel[1]. The recommended version at the time was Java 5, and the SJCP certification was still issued by Sun Microsystems.
I can tell you, "public static void main" is not going to be the problem.
[1]: looking back (i'm in my 30ies now) sometimes I wonder if i would have been better off buying weed or alcohol (or both)