From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.1.3 (2006-06-01) on yquem.inria.fr X-Spam-Level: * X-Spam-Status: No, score=1.3 required=5.0 tests=SPF_FAIL autolearn=disabled version=3.1.3 Received: from concorde.inria.fr (concorde.inria.fr [192.93.2.39]) by yquem.inria.fr (Postfix) with ESMTP id B0F17BC0A for ; Sun, 7 Jan 2007 22:08:15 +0100 (CET) Received: from ciao.gmane.org (main.gmane.org [80.91.229.2]) by concorde.inria.fr (8.13.6/8.13.6) with ESMTP id l07L8EM1015084 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NO) for ; Sun, 7 Jan 2007 22:08:15 +0100 Received: from list by ciao.gmane.org with local (Exim 4.43) id 1H3fFH-0008Qi-Dg for caml-list@inria.fr; Sun, 07 Jan 2007 22:07:59 +0100 Received: from avelizy-155-1-2-32.w83-199.abo.wanadoo.fr ([83.199.41.32]) by main.gmane.org with esmtp (Gmexim 0.1 (Debian)) id 1AlnuQ-0007hv-00 for ; Sun, 07 Jan 2007 22:07:59 +0100 Received: from gildor by avelizy-155-1-2-32.w83-199.abo.wanadoo.fr with local (Gmexim 0.1 (Debian)) id 1AlnuQ-0007hv-00 for ; Sun, 07 Jan 2007 22:07:59 +0100 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ To: caml-list@inria.fr From: Sylvain Le Gall Subject: Re: Before teaching OCaml Date: Sun, 7 Jan 2007 21:07:46 +0000 (UTC) Message-ID: References: <1168193722.6133.38.camel@Blefuscu> X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: avelizy-155-1-2-32.w83-199.abo.wanadoo.fr User-Agent: slrn/0.9.8.1pl1 (Debian) Sender: news X-Miltered: at concorde with ID 45A1613E.001 by Joe's j-chkmail (http://j-chkmail . ensmp . fr)! X-Spam: no; 0.00; ocaml:01 univ-orleans:01 ocaml:01 cygwin:01 makefiles:01 emacs:01 lablgtk:01 low-level:01 emacs:01 makefile:01 2007,:98 unix:01 wrote:01 caml:02 graphics:02 Hello, On 07-01-2007, David Teller wrote: > Dear list, > > I'm going to start teaching OCaml soon and I'm fishing for ideas and > suggestions. I hope this list is the right place to ask. > > Within a few weeks, I'll be teaching OCaml to a class of second-year > students in _mathematics & informatics_. The bad part is that their > knowledge of computer science is limited to 3 term-long lectures of > "algorithmics" (read "Java under Windows"), and that they have nil > knowledge of Unix/Cygwin or Makefiles, or even Emacs or command-lines. > The good part is that a number of them consider Java "not mathematical > enough", so they may be good candidates for functional programming. > > I'm planning to base my lecture roughly on part 1 of _Developing > applications with Objective Caml_, perhaps replacing the chapter devoted > to Graphics with the use of LablGTK. Then again, perhaps not. Some > low-level graphics might be interesting for them. I also intend to give > them a term-long project to work on and develop. > > Right now, I see the following difficulties: > > * the environment -- under Windows, is there any viable alternative to > Emacs + the MinGW-based port ? > > * the Makefile -- I've found OCamlMakefile [1] but I haven't tried it > yet, hopefully it's simple enough for my students to use without too > many arcane manipulations > > * the task -- for the moment, I have no interesting idea of OCaml-based > projects. Perhaps something like finding the shortest path along > subway/train lines ? > > > Thanks for any idea/suggestion/comment, > David, > And a Happy New Year > Well, you can try : http://www.librecours.org/ There is some lecture about OCaml. Maybe you'll find your answer in this (already done) lecture ? Regards, Sylvain Le Gall