Can a low-level programmer learn OOP?

[Hendrik van Rooyen]

 "Chris Carlen" <crcarl,,,,dia.gov> wrote:

> Form 2:  Use Python and PySerial and TkInter or wxWidgets.
> 
> Pro:  Cross-platform goal will likely be achieved fully.  Have a 
> programmer nearby with extensive experience who can help.
> Con:  Must learn new language and library.  Must possibly learn a 
> completely new way of thinking (OOP) not just a new language syntax. 
> This might be difficult.
> 

This is the way to go. - Trust me on this.

When you describe your history, it is almost an exact parallel to mine.
In my case, I have been doing real low level stuff (mostly 8031 assembler)
since 1982 or so. And then I found python in a GSM module (Telit), and
I was intrigued.

I really appreciate your comments on OO - it parallels a lot of what I feel 
as there is a lot of apparent BS that does not seem to "do anything" at first
sight.

However-  for the GUI stuff, there is an easily understood relationship between
the objects and what you see on the screen - so its a great way of getting
into OO - as far as people like you and me will go with it, which is not very
far, as we tend to think in machine instructions...

And for what its worth - you can programme assembler-like python, and it also 
works.

The best thing to do is just to spend a few days playing with say Tkinter.
I use a reference from the web written by John W Shipman at New Mexico
Tech - it is succinct and clear, and deserves more widespread publicity.

Google for it - I have lost the link, although I still have the pdf file.

You will also find the interactive prompt that you get when you type
python at a command prompt invaluable - it lets you play with and debug
small code snippets so that you can learn as you go along - it really speeds
up the whole learning process, and makes it almost painless.

All this talking is just wasting time - you could have had your first frame up
on the screen already, with a blank canvas, ready for drawing.  It really goes 
that quick, once you start.

So the answer to the title question is: Yes - a low level programmer can learn
OOP, and its in fact easier than it looks, as almost all the heavy lifting has 
been done for you by others.

- Hendrik