teaching OO

[Stelios Xanthakis]

Gabriel Zachmann wrote:


> My question now is: do you think I should switch over to Python completely
> (next time), and dump all the interesting issues involved in C++'s virtual
> classes, overloading, and templates? (In Python, all of that would just
> disappear ... ;-) )
> 

No! Python, being a dynamic language has certain advantages over 
compiled languages.
In analogy with C/C++, in python:
  * all functions are pointers to functions
  * all methods are virtual
  * all classes have a virtual table (__dict__)
  * all types are "virtual"
  * as a result everything is polymorphic and generic
  * etc.

Moreover, in python an instance can have it's own methods, so the 
class/instance distinction is different than C++ and friends. Python's 
classes are more like "flying dictionaries" or something:)

IMO, it would be better to proceed normally teaching OOP with C++ and 
dedicate extra lessons on "dynamic/interpreted languages and how can 
they do everything OOP'd like to".


Stelios
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How's the PEP going?