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Subject:Re: C++ Programming Class for Technical Writers From:"Scott J. Wilson" <sjw -at- TIS -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 28 May 1997 11:38:29 -0700
Steve Fouts wrote:
>I am helping out on a committee that is developing some continuing
>ed course work for Technical Writers. One of the proposed courses
>is tentatively titled "C++ for Technical Writers."
>
>I have considered that I may be qualified to teach such a course,
>and if not teach, at least help a great deal with the course
>development.
>
>So, as a technical writer, would you be interested in taking a
>15 hr. course on a programming language specifically geared
>towards technical writing? If so, what would you expect to learn?
>What would you expect to be able to do after such a course that
>you can't do now?
>
>Would "sister" courses, such as "VB for Technical Writers," "OOP
>for Technical Writers," or "Java for Technical Writers" be needed,
>wanted, or required? Or is "C++ for Technical Writers" far too
>specific to lead off. Would a basic course in "Programming for
>Technical Writers" be better?
I'd be interested in taking such a class. I do, however, think that
Programming for
Technical Writers should come first.
What I would be looking for (in the Programming for Technical Writers
class) would be an
overview of programming, and then coverage of a lot of areas in programming
where
technical writers come into contact. For example, Java and Java scripting,
Visual Basic,
C++, and so on.
I would expect a lot of subjects to be covered, but not in great depth, so
that if an area
doesn't interest me at all, I won't be bored for a long time. By covering
lots of subjects
without going into great depth, I get a feel for what's out there, and then
I can decide to
take C++ for Technical Writers or OOP for Technical Writers, as my needs
require.
As for the specific classes, Java for Technical Writers for example, I
would expect to learn
the basics, so that I could do simple coding, but also cover -- but not to
any great depth --
some of the more advanced areas so that I could general understanding of
what a programmer
has done without being able to do it myself.
Scott J. Wilson *** sjwilson99 -at- earthlink -dot- net *** (805) 492-5533
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