r <inpost@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> writes:
> In terms of teaching a "versatile approach", whilst this may be
> beneficial to the reader already proficient in computer programming,
> it is not appropriate to the novice typically most attracted to a
> 'tutorial' in the first instance.
Good point, and it's actually a hard problem. To teach sed you need to
understand regular expressions, but to use them you need to understand
how to quote regular expressions. And you neded to know a shell
language. So it becomes a chicken and egg problem. My tutorials are
set up to start with learning how to use quotes and strings. That's
why it's the first topic.
When I talk about using the "versatile approach" I do this because
understanding how quotes work is essential to shell programming. It's
no wonder passing variables into a string is covered in several parts
of the FAQ.
And as a beginner, I can teach you one way to pass a variable into
sed, and a second to pass it into AWK. Or alternately, I can teach one
versatile method that words for both.
In my view, it's easier on the beginner to learn one method than works
everywhere, than to teach two methods.
> On numerous occasions I am reading instructions "to continue reading"
> and "you have to read the next few paragraphs". This contradicts the
> essence of a tutorial for a novice such as I: by definition I should
> be able read and comprehend a tutorial from beginning to end in a
> logical, sequential manner.
I had not anticipated someone following my AWK tutorial with no
knowledge of shell programming. Sorry about that. I has assumed you
would get to section 3 (of 68) first before you write your first ever
shell script.
Bruce
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com
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