Converting Python code to C/C++

[Grant Edwards]

On 2009-06-24, Couper, Tim T <Tim.Couper at standardbank.com> wrote:

> Your prof. may find this thread of interest
>
> http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2000-June/039779.html
>
> My experience is that developers who know C and C++ can be productive in
> less than 1 week in python, and find it liberating, and educational, to
> do so. And at the same time they will have added a second language to
> their toolbox. As Kurt points out, learning C/C++ takes considerably
> longer (weeks/months to attain a level of competence).

I agree.  Your professor is deluded and knows nothing about
software development [not that either is particularly unusual
in an academic setting].  Converting a Python program to C or
C++ is a complete waste of time (both now _and_ later) unless
there are severe, insurmountable performance problems with the
Python version.

Python is a far, far better language for both real-world
production application development and for algorithm R&D.  With
Python, you spend your time working on algorithms and solving
real-world problems.  In C or C++, you spend your time fighting
with the bugs in your code that are preventing the program from
running.  An algorithm that takes a few hours to implement and
test in Python will take weeks in C or C++.

That said, you'll be niether the first nor last person to be
forced by a professor or manager to waste weeks or months of
time doing something that's obviously stupid and futile from a
technical point of view.

-- 
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