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Programming For Terrified Adults?

Posted by simoniker on from the logical dept.

makeitreal writes "My mom is getting bored with learning the basics of email and has mastered Solitaire. She asked me what I do on my computer and I told her that I was teaching myself programming in Scheme. She expressed an interest in learning what I was doing, but I tried to teach it to her with the HtDP and we didn't even get past the introductory chapter. Everything I've looked at so far seems too complicated (Scheme, Python, VB) or too childish (Logo, Squeak, Lego Mindstorms). Is there anything in the middle that is also cheap/free and suitable for adults? Or should I give up the whole idea?"

3 of 909 comments (clear)

  1. scheme by rmull · · Score: 5, Informative

    I've always thought The Little Schemer would be good for this kind of thing.

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    See you, space cowboy...
  2. AppleScript by Rick+Zeman · · Score: 5, Informative

    Powerful, useful and uses almost nouns and verbs. If she doesn't have a Mac, this would be a great excuse to get one.

    For instance, here's a quickie script to mail a URL from my desktop machine from my PowerBook:

    tell application "Safari"
    tell window 1
    set n to name
    end tell
    tell document 1
    set u to URL
    end tell
    end tell

    tell application "Mailsmith" of machine "eppc://GreyGhost.local"
    make new message window with properties {subject:s, contents:""}
    end tell

    Easy to follow, yes? You get go from the barebones simplistic (like above) to highly involved workflow solutions.

  3. Alternatives to Hypercard by Colin+Smith · · Score: 5, Informative



    http://modena.intergate.ca/personal/gslj/hyperal te rnatives.html

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