[Tutor] Re: Python vs. C [learning C?]

[Danny Yoo]

On Fri, 9 Jan 2004, Stanfield, Vicki {D167~Indianapolis} wrote:

> Peter Jakubowicz wrote on Tue, 06 Jan 2004 20:55:06 -0800:
>
> > this because my Python programs are getting bigger, and occasionally I
> > wonder if I want to learn C too. Plus, I've gotten to like programming
>
> I always advocate learning C. If nothing else, it teaches you how memory
> management is accomplished which languages which manage memory for you
> like Python do not teach. I recommend learning C, doing lots of mallocs
> and the like to get the feel for them, doing a lot of pointer stuff for
> the same reason, and then abandoning C for Python.

Hi Vicki,

I wouldn't totally abandon C.  It does come in handy every once in a
while.  I know I wrote a lot of stuff about how C is unsafe --- but
despite that, it's still a valuable language to learn.  If anything, it
helps one to appreciate how amazingly precise and simple our computers
are, and how vaguely fuzzy we humans are. *grin*



Peter, if you want to learn more about C, you really will want to look at
Kernighan and Richie's classic book, "The C Programming Language".

    http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/cs/cbook/

That book is a classic in the best sense of the word.  I have no qualms
recommending this to any programmer who wants to learn C... and even those
who don't plan to program in C should consider browsing through it at
least once.  The tutorial presentation they give in the book is excellent,
and the content is all solid stuff.

Best of all, the book is nice and thin.


Good luck to you!