62,723 research outputs found
Functional Baby Talk: Analysis of Code Fragments from Novice Haskell Programmers
What kinds of mistakes are made by novice Haskell developers, as they learn about functional programming? Is it possible to analyze these errors in order to improve the pedagogy of Haskell? In 2016, we delivered a massive open online course which featured an interactive code evaluation environment. We captured and analyzed 161K interactions from learners. We report typical novice developer behavior; for instance, the mean time spent on an interactive tutorial is around eight minutes. Although our environment was restricted, we gain some understanding of Haskell novice errors. Parenthesis mismatches, lexical scoping errors and do block misunderstandings are common. Finally, we make recommendations about how such beginner code evaluation environments might be enhanced
Translation into any natural language of the error messages generated by any computer program
Since the introduction of the Fortran programming language some 60 years ago,
there has been little progress in making error messages more user-friendly. A
first step in this direction is to translate them into the natural language of
the students. In this paper we propose a simple script for Linux systems which
gives word by word translations of error messages. It works for most
programming languages and for all natural languages. Understanding the error
messages generated by compilers is a major hurdle for students who are learning
programming, particularly for non-native English speakers. Not only may they
never become "fluent" in programming but many give up programming altogether.
Whereas programming is a tool which can be useful in many human activities,
e.g. history, genealogy, astronomy, entomology, in many countries the skill of
programming remains confined to a narrow fringe of professional programmers. In
all societies, besides professional violinists there are also amateurs. It
should be the same for programming. It is our hope that once translated and
explained the error messages will be seen by the students as an aid rather than
as an obstacle and that in this way more students will enjoy learning and
practising programming. They should see it as a funny game.Comment: 14 pages, 1 figur
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