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From: kirsch@braggvax.arpa (David Kirschbaum)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.pascal
Subject: Re Pascal, projects
Message-ID: <17761@adm.BRL.MIL>
Date: 9 Dec 88 13:43:01 GMT
Sender: news@adm.BRL.MIL
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Considering likely projects for beginning Computer Science students in Pascal:
I've never conducted such a course (and maybe consider it a wee bit ambitious,
recalling the slowness of most beginning Pascal students I've known).
However, thinking of projects:  I guess I learned the very most about Pascal,
file handling, user interface, data processing, etc. from inventing
(reinventing?) a utility to access, translate, edit, generate reports, etc.
from a "standard" database file.  You know, like a dBase file.  The "weird"
structure, having to define and access fields of data, handling data display
and user interface .. REALLY was an interesting challenge, and I learned a LOT!
  So .. rather than yet another editor .. I'd suggest that.  Not a full
"roll your own" DBMS, telephone directory, or Rolodex .. but something to
work with an "industry standard" format the students are gonna find out there
in the real world later on!
  Regards,
  David Kirschbaum
  Toad Hall
  kirsch@braggvax.ARPA