Re: [xsl] A small programming challenge

[Dimitre Novatchev <dnovatchev@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 6/22/05, Mukul Gandhi <mukul_gandhi@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi Dimitre,
>  I am keen to solve this problem. But I have a doubt
> .. Do you have a algorithm for this(If yes, please
> share it), which I'll implement with XSLT 2.0 ? Or we
> have to also invent a algorithm for this..

I have an algorithm and an XSLT 2.0 solution that runs successfully
with an available XSLT 2.0 processor and I will make this solution
available, but I don't want to spoil the fun for anyone, who'd accept
the challenge to find their own.

This all started a few weeks ago when my 12-year daughter asked me if
I can write a program that will print all Fibonacci numbers less than
1000000 (1 million).

I quickly wrote something in XSLT and it was a great fun to change
some parameters of the problem and see instantaneously the new result.
She was very curious how the program works and I had to explain
everything, including what is a sequence and what recursion is ...

Surprisingly, all these concepts are not difficult to understand for a
12-year-old.

I can only envy such a girl or a boy, starting their first programming
experience with a functional language at this age.

I have yet to think how we can best encourage interest towards
functional programming at an early age -- probably Jeni or David will
write a nice book for their kids in the next few years and make it
available to other kids?

This is the best we can do for our children.

Cheers,
Dimitre.