c++ for python programmers

[Nicola Musatti]

On Feb 14, 12:26 am, Sam <free.condime... at gmail.com> wrote:
[...]
> C++ is -not- strongly typed. You can cast anything to void *, and
> manipulate it in ways unimaginable. Plus there's the whole mess that
> is pointer arithmetic and a weak typesystem...

The previous poster wrote "strongly typed", not "a straight jacket".
The fact that you may do certain things doesn't mean that you have to
nor that they are going to be done to you against your will.

> Disclaimer: I am unashamedly in the "C++ Is Evil" camp, and wholly
> believe that if you want proper strong, static type checking, use
> Haskell, or if you want proper, complete object-orientation (C++'s
> primitive types compromise its object system's integrity, and I
> believe I've already discussed casting and pointers), use Python, and
> if you want under-the-hood pointer-fu, use C.

The trouble is that in addition to proper, strong, static type
checking people often also want their daily bread, fancy that. As to
the merits of complete object orientation, I'd like to hear about
them, because nobody managed to explain them to me in a satisfactory
way yet.

There are many valid reasons to dislike C++ and to prefer Python to
it, but dismissing it as "C++ Is Evil" is just plain stupid. Moreover,
C might be a valid competitor for small projects and it probably
covers most Pythonistas' needs for "closeness to the metal", but it
just doesn't scale.

Cheers,
Nicola Musatti