Re: Teaching C/C++ from Ada perspective?

[Maciej Sobczak <see.my.homepage@gmail.com>]

> Because it is necessary to understand the entire language

I would discuss with this. The Ada and C++ standards have comparable "volumes" in terms of number of pages (and both are *huge*) and I do not see any fundamental reason for why partial knowledge of the language is guaranteed to be safe in one language but not in the other. Looking at the questions that are being (sometimes periodically) asked on this group shows that Ada beginners are not entirely safe.
It is still possible, though, to present the part of the language that is sufficiently complete to allow students write reasonable programs. If you are looking for a C++ book at this level of presentation, start with "Accelerated C++", it is known for its focus on good selection of idioms from the very beginning.

> For one semester you must choose a fragment (probably classes), and relegate style issues to "further reading".

Yes.

> (Whereas in Ada you can take a fragment and keep the good style.)

No. Or I see no reason for Ada to be better here. I mean - this is the mood that everybody here likes to share, but just check the first screenful of questions to see how easy it is for the beginner to go astray.

> In sum, and to the point, I see nothing you can transpose from Ada.

Both languages are in the same family with regard to being imperative and value-oriented. There is a lot of conceptual commonality here, much more than, say, between C++ and Java.

-- 
Maciej Sobczak * http://www.inspirel.com