How much do you know about programming

[Rob]

Apparently schools are concentrating more on how to use software, rather than how to create it. Whilst it is important people can actually produce that nice looking letter, equally when things don;t go to plan it would be good if the average office user didn't just sit there looking dumb because they don't even know how to check what is on their PC when they are on the phone to IT support.

Take the BBC test. My score a feeble 3 out of 7. Looks like I need further education.

[Kymmy]

7/7 myself but with my work history that's not a surprise..

[danielf]

6/7 with quite a bit of (educated) guessing. It doesn't say much about programming skills though.

[Damien]

6/7, got the first one wrong. Little to do with programming however.

[Mick Fisher]

only 5 for me

[Maggy J]

That was mostly a history quiz and very little connection with programming.If it had been about programming I'd never even got 3 right.What a rubbish quiz.

Anyway it is mostly about learning how to use the software in schools.Anyone who is into programming has to teach themselves these days..Though to be fair that was always the situation.

[denphone]

4/7 with guesses on most of them.

[progers]

3/7 first time, 7/7 second...isn't that called cheating?

[denphone]

Originally Posted by progers

3/7 first time, 7/7 second...isn't that called cheating?

[thenry]

0/7 but I did learn a few things

[denphone]

Originally Posted by thenry

0/7 but I did learn a few things

Sorry thenry but you have been awarded the wooden spoon.

[damien c]

2/7 but we never got told anything like that at school, more about how to use thing's and basic website creation using Wordpad.

If I wanted to learn anything more I would have had to go to college and then university, which wasn't going to happen because I am to lazy for that

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Rob

Apparently schools are concentrating more on how to use software, rather than how to create it. Whilst it is important people can actually produce that nice looking letter, equally when things don;t go to plan it would be good if the average office user didn't just sit there looking dumb because they don't even know how to check what is on their PC when they are on the phone to IT support.

Take the BBC test. My score a feeble 3 out of 7. Looks like I need further education.

They are right. When I started Uni, we were taught Modula 2. The reasons?

It's a fairly simple language, but close enough in structure to other languages to teach students good programming practice. It's also not used anywhere outside education, so to get on in a programming career, we were *forced* to learn another language. Programming languages, in my experience, have one thing in common with normal languages. When you have learned two (or more) it makes it a lot simpler to learn others.

We then went on to learn C++ (upto and including using OS resources on Windows and Unix with API calls) before moving on to languages like Java and various scripting languages.

Now, the students are taught Java (mainly) with a little Visual Basic.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying that Java is not a powerful and versatile langauge. It can be. Not as versatile or powerful as C++ though.

[thenry]

Originally Posted by denphone

Sorry thenry but you have been awarded the wooden spoon.

I did get a few right which were pure guesses but knowledge wise I got a big fat zero.. only being honest unlike some

[denphone]

Originally Posted by thenry

I did get a few right which were pure guesses but knowledge wise I got a big fat zero.. only being honest unlike some

Yes all mine were guesses and to be perfectly honest this is not my specialists subject if l was to enter mastermind.