Changing the Division Operator -- PEP 238, rev 1.12

Arthur Siegel ajs at ix.netcom.com
Tue Jul 31 04:15:06 EDT 2001


Paul writes -
 
>* the real target for the newbie-friendliness is new programmers not
>non-programmers. A language that is good for new programmers has a lot
>of rules that they can easily remember and few pitfalls that they have
>to store away in their heads.

I agree with you 100% about who the target is/should be.  But that is the 
*main* reason I disagreed with the VPython physics class finding as
significantly relevant.  Those were non-programmer findings, 
not beginning programmer findings. Perhaps I have a small point.

I would assert we have no findings sited within the context of 
learning to program, and that your assertion about what is 
significant in that context is a not illogical, but nonetheless bald.  
I happen, BTW, not to think there is very much to it. But that is 
also bald.

>if newbie-friendliness were the only issue, it would be probably not
>enough. But even competent programmers can make non-robust code if there
>is a big gap between the division statement and the provision of an
>integer where a float is expected -- and even if there is NOT a big gap.

If that is true, and the decision to go forward with the change is on that
basis, I, for one, am at peace with it.

ART





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