qwazix,

Only pointed (pun intended, yes...) to bash because I think it's the place where most people start to understand the fundamental ideas behind programming.

Single line execution is also nice, I guess, when you're just starting out.

But above all: The command line and scripting for it, seems less intimidating to me when you first try and understand how programming works. For that reason, I also concluded my post by stating that pen and paper should not be overlooked

Having said that, you are of course right, bash is not the best place to start programming. But it is a nice place to get your feet wet and see if you can live with the temperature of the water.