Talk:Language Tutorial
From SlateWiki
This tutorial is hard to read, which makes it (whatever it is) not suitable for "tutorial". You should start from clean, uncommented source sample for something simple like ax^2+bx+c=0 solution. Then, you should explain the code line by line, ending it with links like read more about involved things [here]. 217.25.194.150 07:59, 11 Nov 2005 (PST)
- P.S.: would someone please notify me at makc.the.great at gmail.nospam.com, if you will do something as I have suggested above. 217.25.194.150
In response to e-mail: Can you point me to an existing tutorial for another language that has these characteristics and point out the individual bits you'd like to see? Otherwise I'm trying unsuccessfully to visualize something you're describing a bit too vaguely - I don't know how anyone would write a tutorial like this - actually, I don't have tutorials like these at hand; rough search gives these as closest to what I have in mind, but not really perfect:
- ActionScript tutorial (http://flashmove.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21530), but you should start by downloading source (http://flashmove.com/forum/showpost.php?p=78111&postcount=24)
- JavaScript one (http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/98/03/index0a_page3.html?tw=programming) (actually part of something bigger, and is way too long anyway).
So, basically, it's like if I would have happen to have some 10 lines of code in Slate, and asked you to explain it line by line. 217.25.194.150 01:23, 15 Nov 2005 (PST)
Also, thing that confuses me the most in your code snippets is that there code is mixed with (interpreter?) output. It is hard to picture solid code out of this. 217.25.194.150
- P.S.: I thought that maybe the most of my difficulties are there because I am not familiar with smalltalk, but C-like syntax languages instead... So, I would like to help you to create another SHORT tutorial like I have in mind, especially oriented for those folks like me with C-like syntax languages background. E-mail (as above). 217.25.194.150
Sure, I can do that
There is an existing "Smalltalk syntax for Java users" that I can link which covers your latter point.
Line by line explanations could be done. Still, I must say you're awfully lazy to be this put off by the way the tutorial is written. That's just my gut reaction, nothing personal and I certainly understand.
- Did you mean this (http://www.chimu.com/publications/JavaSmalltalkSyntax.html)? Pasting "Smalltalk syntax for Java users" in search box on the left yields no results :(
You asked just as I edited the page to add the links. Take a look now and tell me if it is better or if there is further to go for the first two sections. On second thought, just comment and be aware that I know it all needs more work - I'd prefer specific suggestions, though. Also, this conversation will go much faster if you join IRC while I am online. -Brian Rice
- I don't know what have you done to an article, but I can't open it. Any other page, but this one (http://slate.tunes.org/wiki/Language_Tutorial). I am banned from using IRC/IMs at work. 217.25.194.150
- I have manged to get to the page via history (http://slate.tunes.org/wiki/index.php?title=Language_Tutorial&diff=0&oldid=1429). I can't explain why it doesn't open otherwise, it's really weird.
- It is still reproduceable today. 217.25.194.150 00:36, 23 Nov 2005 (PST)
Forget it, article now works fine.
I must agree that however illuminating, this is less a tutorial than a description of the language. A tutorial would need more language description, with the format of lessons. It's still a useful resource, however making it more tutorial like could start with the omission of some material such as the repeated mentions of how the actual implementation may differ from the model. Some useful additions might be gleaned from other language tutorials -- most tend to start with the ubiquitous "hello world" (more important for showing how the runtime is invoked, really), then they go into data types and their literal syntax, etc... Given that I'm newly learning the language, I might be in a position to write some tutorial material, if only to write it from the perspective of how it differs from more orthodox languages (though I come from hacking MOO, so I have a hard time with the notion that prototype dispatch is at all unusual :) Sproingie 09:34, 10 Dec 2005 (PST)
