Newbie:Considering using Python. Arrays?, Pointers?

[Quinn Dunkan]

On Fri, 21 May 1999 12:48:43 -0700, Tom <tom22 at verio.com> wrote:
>Attached is a small "C" program that I wrote years ago that used pointers to
>"linked lists" of "structures" (it finds the best match for the parallel
>combination of two resistors...that should give away my real profession...E.E).
>Admittedly, it is not very readable and would probably be less readable in
>PERL. Also, the output data formatting is dreadfull and at one point I think I
>just gave up making it "prettier".

Well, you're in for a treat because handling arrays (lists) and structures
(objects, which have the added benefit of storing behavior as well)) in Python
is much less hassle than C.  There is no need to construct linked lists,
because python's lists are smart enough already.  Instead of hacking up your
own linked lists, just use python's lists, append() to append, sort() to sort,
etc.  Instead hacking up your own routine to store structures persistently in
a file, just use pickle (or you could use a "real" database like gdbm (or sql
if it's a lot more complicated than that)).  Instead of futzing around with
pointers and deferencing, just pass your data around directly.  Error
reporting will be much nicer (an exception rather than a random segfault, or
whatever it is you get on windows).

But read the tutorial at www.python.org.  For me, python involves much more
time thinking "how do I solve this?" while C involves much more thinking "how
do I get C to do this?"  From cursory examination of your source, it appears
most of it is getting C to do things, and the actual math part is a small
part, so this program ought to be a _lot_ shorter and easier in python.

Anyway, this boils down to "yes".  Learn python, use it, you'll like it.

And what did you expect, posting to a python newsgroup :)