Download Abstract - Robert Chatley

Introduction and Motivation
Java[1] is a popular programming language in the computer industry today. Students want to
learn Java, but its syntax is quite complicated for teaching introductory programming courses.
Current methods of teaching introductory programming do not often start with object-oriented
design, but rather concentrate on procedural programming and flow control, moving on to
abstract data types and classes at a later stage. It is not possible to write a program in Java
without writing at least one class (with a main method).
A better language for teaching with is something like Turing[2] which has a much simpler
syntax, and allows programmers to do simple things in simple ways.
The "Hello World" Program in Turing
put "Hello World!"
The "Hello World" Program in Java
public class HelloWorld
{
public static void main( String args[] )
{
System.out.println( "Hello World!" );
}
}
Things we have to explain to new programmers to write the Turing program:
1. What put does
2. That strings need to go in double quotes
Things we have to explain to new programmers to write the Java program:
1. What a class is
2. What public means
3. What static means
4. What void means
5. What a method is and how it takes parameters
6. What a library is
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