Translating Python to C (was Re: Modulo operator : differences between C and Python)

Erik de Castro Lopo nospam at mega-nerd.com
Sun Mar 10 22:01:54 EST 2002


Courageous wrote:
> 
> >> Just recently I prototyped a relatively complex algorithm in Python
> >> before converting it to C.
> 
> I'm curious about your experiences. I did something myself recently,
> creating a fairly sophisticated prototype in Python and then implemented
> it in C++. Given that I had all the algorithms worked out and thoroughly
> debugged, it was astounding to me how difficult it was to get properly
> translated and then validated. It took literally 3 times as long or longer
> to get the C++ version implemented and provably functional, this in spite
> of the design time work being included in what it took to do the Python
> implementation.

My experience was that once I had it working and validated in Python 
converting to C was pretty trival. The validation I had done in Python 
allowed me to find the problem in the C version pretty quickly. 80% of 
the whole process was getting the Python code working. 

> Programming in C++ genuinely depresses me.

Thats why I try to avoid C++ :-).

> And I'm an old veteran. I've been using it since the days of C Front, if
> anyone around happens to know what that means. :-)

I never used C Front but did spend a number of years (1990-1995) where
C++ was my main language. Nowadays I only use C++ when I really, REALLY
*REALLY* need C++ features. The rest is split between C and Python.

Erik
-- 
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
  Erik de Castro Lopo  nospam at mega-nerd.com (Yes it's valid)
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
"Only wimps use tape backup: *real* men just upload their 
important stuff on FTP, and let the rest of the world 
mirror it ;)" -- Linus Torvalds



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