rev and languages

[jbv]

>
> > But, offering a *few options* borrowed from earlier languages which seem
> > just as natural (x = 12) as Transcript and could actually make it more
> > efficient might be OK.
> >

As a former teacher of programming for kids who were 9 or 10,
I noticed that one of the first and biggest difficulties they were
facing (while learning the basic concepts) was the difference between
a variable and its content.
IMHO a line of code such as "put 12 into x" has the HUGE advantage
to make things clear from the beginning, while "x = 12" has a more
mathematical feeling and doesn't really introduce the concept clearly.

Besides the Transcript syntax has also the advantage of allowing
beginners to understand code written by experienced prog. and to be
able to taylor that code to their needs in much less time than Java or C.
Don't know exactly how much it blurs the border between beginners
& experienced prog. but at least it contributes to make both feel closer
to each other than any other language...

JB