[Tutor] Losing the expressiveness of C's for-statement?/RESENDwith example

[Eric Brunson]

Stephen McInerney wrote:
> Hi Alan,
>
>
>   
[ snipage ]
>> As to your particular case one non while option would be a generateor:
>>
>> def half(n):
>>     while int(n) > 0:
>>        n = n/2
>>        yield n
>>
>> for x in half(300): print x,
>>     
>
> It's ok but it's visually clunky. while-loop wins for clarity. lambda would 
> also be too quirky.
> I know the generator is more runtime-efficient.
> It's regrettable we have to choose between the clear and the efficient, in 
> this situation.
>   

That statement seems to be founded on the assumption that the C syntax 
is clear, which has not been established.  It is clear to you because it 
is what you're used to seeing.  Slap it down in front of a programmer 
that has never seen the idiom and see what they make of it.

Any time you change languages you have to accustom yourself to it's 
nuances.  C is probably one of the hardest languages I ever learned, I 
can't remember how many times I read and re-read the K&R chapter on 
pointer syntax.

e.