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Re: Programs for the new FRC platform
I'd just like to offer one point which hasn't been brought up yet.
A few of the responses have mentioned that C/C++ would be a superior choice because "that is what you will learn in college," and LabVIEW would not be as good for retained knowledge because of licensing issues, lack of free compilers, and how platform-specific it is. These points are valid, but I would like to offer another, which favors LabVIEW: in many* CS or programming classes, flowcharts are used to teach the logic behind the programming, how different ideas work, etc, and then the syntax is taught separately; by using LabVIEW, you would be teaching yourself the logic behind the programming with immediately visible results at your fingertips. It is the combination of the theory and reality of programming and may actually be the superior tool for instruction in CS.
That having been said, our team is still using C++ as of now: it's what our team is more familiar with, it's the way our minds work; I can't program visually. However, if we face difficulties or limitations with C++, the switch over would not be a hard choice to make.
*I'd say most, but I haven't had exposure to very many. At the least, this is what I have heard, and it makes logical sense for at least lower CS classes.
**I'm the only returning programming team member, but the new kid knows a bit of the syntax and our mentor knows quite a bit from his CS major. Our programming team is small, so teaching the one new kid the language shouldn't be hard.
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I cut myself shaving with Occam's razor.
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