Eng 53

<p>Could the engineers out there tell me which programming language(s) is taught in Eng 53? Matlab, C, C++, LabView?</p>

<p>its known as EGR53 for the record :)</p>

<p>this course is taught exclusively in matlab, however Dr G does use Maple to demonstrate a few mathematical concepts.</p>

<p>EGR53. Got it. :)</p>

<p>Matlab is a good thing. I actually already have it installed on my laptop because I use it at work, but I think my copy will expire soon. Are engineering students provided with a student copy? And at what cost? Does the same go for Maple?</p>

<p>we all have walk-in access to the computer labs around campus, but in addition to that we can log in to any of the lab computers from our own computers and use the programs. You will learn how to do this during the first week of EGR53.</p>

<p>Well, I guess now I have to use Matlab. Was thinking about resurrecting Pascal for this Fall to see if the Classical Studies folks would let me cross-list EGR 53L as one of the "Dead Languages" classes.</p>

<p>As a further note - Don't Buy Any Software. Well - maybe word processing stuff and games, but for scientific computing - Duke has licenses for things like Matlab, Maple, Mathematica, etc., and you can use Duke's licence for XWin (if on a Windows machine) or X11 (if on Mac or *nix) to have Duke's machines serve them to you. The Computer Store will occasionally try to sell these things to people... Really not needed unless you are planning to be away from any kind of network for long, long stretches.</p>

<p>EGR53L never really let me leverage my extensive programming experience in Intercal or brain**** (thanks CC for the censorship! it's a real programming language you know). Then again, it wasn't crosslisted with PSY119A, abnormal psychology, my year.</p>

<p>Is it okay if you take EGR53 and have absolutely no previous experience in working with computers, besides knowing how to turn on the internet and play hearts?</p>

<p>yes wannaba</p>

<p>You know how to turn on the internet?</p>

<p>yes, I'm special</p>

<p>On the first day of class, I will have everyone who has ever used Matlab raise their hand - the very, very low number is generally a comfort to the folks who have never used it before. Dr. Simmons and I assume no prior programming experience and that people are currently in MTH 31. Specifically, from the 270 responses of the 306 people that took EGR 53 last Fall:</p>

<p>What languages did you have any experience with? (select all that apply)<br>
BASIC 27.4%
LOGO 2.2%
C / C++ 22.6%
Pascal 4.8%
Fortran 0.7%
Matlab 1.9%
Java 31.9%
Other 15.6%</p>

<p>Joe Meyerowitz, do you seriously program in program in Intercal and brain****? lol</p>

<p>
[quote]
Well - maybe word processing stuff and games

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Now if only Duke had site license software for games... I think we'd rise several spots in US News if only we had that.</p>

<p>I think if we had licenses for games it would also get rid of grade inflation...</p>

<p>Yet another advantage!</p>

<p>grade inflation is good :)</p>

<p>Why, who wouldn't like to use Intercal? Hello World has never been easier to compile!:</p>

<p>hello.i:
DO ,1 <- #13
PLEASE DO ,1SUB#1 <- #234
DO ,1SUB#2 <- #112
DO ,1SUB#3 <- #112
DO ,1SUB#4 <- #0
DO ,1SUB#5 <- #64
DO ,1SUB#6 <- #194
DO ,1SUB#7 <- #48
PLEASE DO ,1SUB#8 <- #22
DO ,1SUB#9 <- #248
DO ,1SUB#10 <- #168
DO ,1SUB#11 <- #24
DO ,1SUB#12 <- #16
DO ,1SUB#13 <- #214
PLEASE READ OUT ,1
PLEASE GIVE UP</p>

<p>lol, well it might be easy to write and understand (j/k of course-- both languages are about 10^100 times as arcane as the worst assembly languages), but both languages are incredibly inefficient. lol. besides, i can write incredibly obfuscated programs using C, without the need for a programming language that requires obfuscation do to its syntax. lol</p>

<p>You're missing the inherent fatalism beautifully expressed by Intercal's PLEASE DO command. The point isn't to be obfuscated, the point is to have a language that recognizes that no matter what you do, you still have to say pretty please or the computer might just ignore you.</p>