Regarding learning programming via MetaCard vs. HyperCard...
A couple of other factors... MetaCard is, of course, available for the PC
whereas HyperCard isn't. HyperCard is dead... it just doesn't know it yet.
If MetaCard cost $99 instead of $999, MetaCard itself would be the final
nail in the HyperCard coffin, but THAT'S another story...
The MetaTalk Programming stack that folks are referring to teaches scripting
only... in other words, it teaches MetaTalk, not MetaCard. It's also
designed to be part tutorial part simulation, meaning you can write practice
scripts in it, and the stack will tell you what mistakes you made. It's
broken up into individual lessons which can be completed in one sitting, and
it has a full set of teacher lesson plans with it. The lessons are fairly
clever and designed to be interesting... And although I've seen a lot of
HyperCard tutorials, I haven't come across anything as well put together as
the MetaTalk Programmer stack. 'Course I'm extremely biased, 'cause I wrote
it... :)
When a student gets past basic scripting and wants to do more complicated
stuff, they'll hit the "HyperCard Wall" fairly quickly. It takes a lot
longer to hit the MetaCard Wall... so anyone learning to program using
HyperCard will probably want to look at MetaCard sooner or later... might as
well be sooner. The only factor, really, is cost. For schools, MetaCard is
really cheap. For a 12 year old outside of school, the cost is, well, WAY
out of reach.
But the MetaTalk Programmer stack runs fine with the restricted version of
MetaCard... it's long enough that people who aren't serious about learning
scripting will probably give up before the end, and people who are really
serious about learning scripting will probably spend hours and just go
straight through it.
:)
Richard MacLemale
Instructional Technology Specialist
James W. Mitchell High School
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