What Python looks like

[Mensanator]

On Aug 4, 2:06 pm, iu2 <isra... at elbit.co.il> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> This is a little bit strange post, but I'm curious...
>
> I learned Python from its tutorial step by step, and practicing
> writing small scripts.
> I haven't seen a Python program before knowing Python.
>
> I'm curious, what did Python code look like to those of you who have
> seen a bunch of Python code for the first time before knowing Python?

To me, when I started transitioning from perl to Python, Python

Python  from 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------
import sys
import string
# Python Collatz tester
j = string.atol(sys.argv[1])
i = 2**(6*j-1)-1
print i,"\n"
r1 = 0
r2 = 0
count = 0
while i>1:
	z = divmod(i,2)
	if z[1]==0:
		i = z[0]
		r1 = r1 + 1
	if z[1]>0:
		i = i*3 + 1
		r2 = r2 + 1
print "[1]",r1
print "[2]",r2,"\n"
--------------------------------------------------------------

looked just like perl, but without the braces (which seemed a
lot more important than the $s).

Perl from 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------
use Math::BigInt ':constant';
$j = @ARGV[0];
$i = 2**(6*$j-1)-1;
print "$i\n";
$r1 = 0;
$r2 = 0;
while ($i>1) {
	if ($i =~ /.*?[0,2,4,6,8]$/) {
		$i = $i/2;
		$r1++;
	}
	else {
		$i = $i*3 + 1;
		$r2++;
        }
}
print "[1] ",$r1;
print " [2] ",$r2,"\n";
--------------------------------------------------------------


>
> (I can tell, for example, that seeing perl for the first time looked
> like C with many $$$,

I wouldn't say that, the $s are minor, big thing is the declarations
and pointers.

C from 2005 (not complete program)
--------------------------------------------------------------
long collatz (mpz_ptr r)
{
  mpz_t result, twee, twoo, cee;
  mpz_init (result);
  mpz_init_set_ui (cee, 1);
  mpz_init_set_ui (twee, 3);
  mpz_init_set_ui (twoo, 2);
  long rule1 = 0;
  long rule2 = 0;
  long f;
  while (mpz_cmp (r, cee) > 0)
    {
       f = mpz_scan1 (r, 0);
       if (f>0)     /* even */
         {
           mpz_tdiv_q_2exp (result, r, f);
           rule1 = rule1 + f;
         }
       else                 /* odd */
         {
           mpz_set (result, cee);
           mpz_addmul (result, r, twee);
           rule2++;
         }
       mpz_swap (r, result);
    }
  printf ("\nRule1: %8d  Rule2: %8d\n\n", rule1, rule2);
  return rule1 + rule2;
}
--------------------------------------------------------------


> I could see "if" and "for" and "while" but they
> were meaningless.

Maybe you looked at a crappy example.

> Or Lisp for the first time looked like many words,
> no operators,

Aren't some of the words operators? I never used used Lisp,
but I did dabble in Scheme and have no trouble identifying the
operators (although not the overall program).

Scheme from 2004
--------------------------------------------------------------
(define n 1)
(define collatz
    (lambda (n)
        (if (even? n)
            (/ n 2)
            (+ 1 (* n 3))
        )))
(define sequence
    (lambda (n)
        (do ((count 0 (+ count 1)))
            ((= n 1) (display "stopping: ") (display count))
            (set! n (collatz n)) (display n) (display " ")
        )))
--------------------------------------------------------------

> how could that make a program???)

You have to think differently with functional languages.
The functional snobs say you'll never "get" it once your
mind has been poisoned by imperative languages.

>
> Thanks