Ask A Scientist© Computer Science Archive

Index Key:   CSI023
Author:      Brian Allen
Subject:     Why learn Hypercard?
Text:        Who uses HyperCard for Training and Development?  I have got 
several students who are thinking about careers in programming, and they want 
to know whether or not Learning HyperCard is a waste of time, assuming that no 
one really uses it (I do, but they are still not convinced).  I would like to 
give them 'hard evidence' about Hypercards future use.  I am new to newton, 
but I like what I see.  Thanks.

Response #: 1 of 3
Author:     Tom Buller
Text:       Brian, good question from your students.  There are people who are 
professional software developers, who write commercial programs with 
Hypercard. I think Hypercard has an important future in "new learning" 
applications.  By that I mean we all have to become life long learners and the 
"software" that will help us learn will be in a multimedia format.  One way to 
make learning packages is through hypermedia. Many hypercard developers 
program in other formats too.  Programming inhypermedia allows one to become 
their own software company.  I have written several stacks that have been used 
in schools, and many of the laser disc companies have developers writing 
stacks for them, granted they are not nearly as many openings for hypermedia 
programmers, but there is a need. Try having your students develop stacks for


lower grade students. They will learn an awful lot about software development 
and curriculum with that one "little" activity. They need to know about the 
various hypermedia so that they could, using other programming, develop a 
better tool!

Response #: 2 of 3
Author:     Robert Topper
Text:       I would like to add to Tom's excellent response.  Once you learn 
one kind of programming environment, the others are easy to learn. Learning 
how to program with Hypercard will be an invaluable experience to your 
students, even if they do not go on to become Hypercard developers.  I learned 
BASIC in school and PASCAL in college.  From there it was straightforward for 
me to teach myself FORTRAN and only slightly harder to learn ASSEMBLY.  The 
hardest part to learn about programming is not to learn the syntax of a 
particular language (that is easy), but to THINK in an organized and creative 
fashion (that is much harder). This latter skill can be developed on any 
programming platform.  In any language Hypercard just has the additional 
advantage of being fun to use.

Response #: 3 of 3
Author:     Robert Chaffer
Text:       I have a son who works for a company which is developing 
multimedia presentations which are marketed to companies for employee training 
and sales applications. He started out using Hypercard and has now migrated up 
to a more feature laden hypermedia programming environment.