Re: qsort() function misunderstanding

From	glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: qsort() function misunderstanding
Date	2015-11-25 05:58 +0000
Organization	Aioe.org NNTP Server
Message-ID	<n33il9$9ru$1@speranza.aioe.org> (permalink)
References	<f2f0bab8-fada-4d3c-a73e-75bd83097970@googlegroups.com> <n31e7n$pbp$2@dont-email.me> <db2c4c95-a083-4b51-b4f2-a331a47adb76@googlegroups.com> <n31l94$iso$1@dont-email.me> <87k2p7ic01.fsf@bsb.me.uk>

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Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> wrote:

(snip of discussion on Alla and learning C)
 
> Here's the course description:
 
>  "Introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and
>  the art of programming. This course teaches students how to think
>  algorithmically and solve problems efficiently. Topics include
>  abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource
>  management, security, software engineering, and web
>  development. Languages include C, PHP, and JavaScript plus SQL, CSS,
>  and HTML. Problem sets inspired by real-world domains of biology,
>  cryptography, finance, forensics, and gaming. Designed for
>  concentrators and non-concentrators alike, with or without prior
>  programming experience"
 
> It's 12 weeks long with 10 problem sets a project.  The course includes
> a taste of lots of topics that are not directly related to programming.

Seems to me that many people believe that CS is the same as
programming. But there are many more things that are part of CS,
and it looks like this course covers many of them.

> There is no way that anyone taking it is supposed to learn C or learn to
> program during it.  The intent (as I see it) is to get a feel for what
> various kinds of program look like and to "jump in" and modify some
> programs in the problem sets without being any sort of expert.  It's a
> though skill that's not at all the same as the methodical and
> detail-oriented programming the I think many people here are more
> familiar with.  I think it's it's an interesting idea.
 
> I'm not exactly sure how the questions Alla is posting here relate to
> the course (and maybe I've go the wrong CS50!) but I suspect she is
> trying to understand too much.

I suppose, but how many of us have ever taken a course where we
didn't know as much as we should have before taking it?

So, you try to learn as much as you can, in the time you have.

Even if you don't learn everything, when you see it again later
you will learn it much faster. 

But yes, I suspect that students for a class like this should
know a good amount about programming, first. Is there a 
prerequisite for it?

-- glen

Thread

qsort() function misunderstanding Alla _ <modelling.data@gmail.com> - 2015-11-24 01:48 -0800
  Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-24 10:32 +0000
    Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-11-24 11:08 +0000
      Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-24 12:03 +0000
        Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-11-24 16:12 +0000
    Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Alla _ <modelling.data@gmail.com> - 2015-11-24 03:33 -0800
      Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-24 12:05 +0000
        Re: qsort() function misunderstanding glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-11-24 13:52 +0000
          Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Ken Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2015-11-24 10:01 -0500
        Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Alla _ <modelling.data@gmail.com> - 2015-11-24 06:04 -0800
          Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-24 14:16 +0000
      Re: qsort() function misunderstanding James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-11-24 07:32 -0500
        Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-11-24 16:43 +0000
          Re: qsort() function misunderstanding glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-11-25 05:58 +0000
            Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-11-25 11:34 +0000
              Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-25 12:45 +0000
                Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Alla _ <modelling.data@gmail.com> - 2015-11-26 02:18 -0800
                Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-26 10:45 +0000
              Re: qsort() function misunderstanding glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-11-25 14:46 +0000
          Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Alla _ <modelling.data@gmail.com> - 2015-11-25 00:51 -0800
            Re: qsort() function misunderstanding James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-11-25 08:12 -0500
              Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-11-25 14:02 +0000
                Re: qsort() function misunderstanding James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-11-25 11:37 -0500
                Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-11-25 17:36 +0000
  Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-11-24 03:30 -0800
    Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Alla _ <modelling.data@gmail.com> - 2015-11-24 03:48 -0800
      Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-11-24 06:29 -0800
    pre/post increments (was Re: qsort() function misunderstanding) Ken Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2015-11-24 09:55 -0500
  Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Alla _ <modelling.data@gmail.com> - 2015-11-24 06:06 -0800
  Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2015-11-24 07:33 -0800
  Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-11-24 09:04 -0800
    Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-24 17:17 +0000
      Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Geoff <geoff@invalid.invalid> - 2015-11-24 10:03 -0800
        Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2015-11-24 13:31 -0500
          Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Geoff <geoff@invalid.invalid> - 2015-11-24 12:34 -0800
            Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2015-11-24 16:02 -0500
              Re: qsort() function misunderstanding supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-11-24 15:18 -0800
                Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Chad <cdalten@gmail.com> - 2015-11-24 16:15 -0800
                Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-11-24 23:51 -0800
            Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Alla _ <modelling.data@gmail.com> - 2015-11-25 01:01 -0800
              Re: qsort() function misunderstanding glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-11-25 12:53 +0000
                Re: qsort() function misunderstanding supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-11-25 10:15 -0800
                Re: qsort() function misunderstanding glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-11-25 23:14 +0000
                Re: qsort() function misunderstanding supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-11-25 16:33 -0800
                Re: qsort() function misunderstanding glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-11-26 08:18 +0000
      Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-11-25 10:41 +1300
        Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-24 22:08 +0000
    Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Alla _ <modelling.data@gmail.com> - 2015-11-25 00:53 -0800
  Re: qsort() function misunderstanding Alla _ <modelling.data@gmail.com> - 2015-11-25 09:07 -0800

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