Checking a Number for Palindromic Behavior

[MRAB]

Benjamin Middaugh wrote:
> Actually I was working on a program to test the so-called 196-algorithm 
> as an extracurricular activity. MRAB was most helpful with pointing out 
> what I should have already thought of. My previous attempts were 
> hampered by my limited knowledge of python, and I had already mentally 
> committed to my complex and inefficient method of solving the problem 
> (big mistake, I know). My final solution, with suitable adjustments for 
> proper ways of doing things :-), was just 20 lines of code.
> 
> By the way, I don't get much time for python since I'm a freshman 
> computer engineering student taking 17 credits. My Intro to Programming 
> class uses C++ (yuck) instead of python, so I have to devote most of my 
> programming time to that. However, I figured python would be a better 
> choice for trying this algorithm out.
> 
> Thanks for all the help. As a beginning programmer, I'm really 
> appreciating it.
> 
BTW, if you're working in a lower-level language like C or C++ and
already have the number as a string then testing for a palindrome is
quicker if you work from both ends of the string, comparing the digits,
until they meet or cross in the middle.

In a higher-level language like Python, reversing and comparing is
faster.

Different languages have different strengths and weaknesses and may
require different approaches.