It's also likely that these guys had already programmed before coming to the class. We all tend to get stuck when programming something for the first time. Second and third times are much smoother experiences.
> Before you can write your own subroutine, you have to know how. This means, to be practical, that you have written it before; which makes it difficult to get started. But give it a try. After writing the same subroutine a dozen times on as many computers and languages, you'll be pretty good at it.
Or, as Fred Brooks put it, “plan one to throw away”.
> Before you can write your own subroutine, you have to know how. This means, to be practical, that you have written it before; which makes it difficult to get started. But give it a try. After writing the same subroutine a dozen times on as many computers and languages, you'll be pretty good at it.
Or, as Fred Brooks put it, “plan one to throw away”.