Use the Source Luke

[rusi]

On Feb 2, 12:32 am, "OKB (not okblacke)"
<brenNOSPAMb... at NObrenSPAMbarn.net> wrote:
> Tim Wintle wrote:
> > (2) is especially important IMO - under half of the python
> > developers I have regularly worked with would feel comfortable
> > reading C - so for the other half reading C source code probably
> > isn't going to help them understand exactly what's going on
> > (although in the long run it might help them a lot)
>
>         I'd just like to note that (2) applies to me in spades.  I'm not
> sure how many other people are in my position, but I use Python because
> I like how it works, and I do not want to use C because I find it
> insufferable.  I quite frequently look at the source of Python modules,
> although more often third-party modules than the standard lib, but if I
> have to look at the C source of something I basically stop and find
> another solution (possibly abandoning Python altogether for that usage).
>
>         I think, in general, the less anyone needs to know C even exists,
> the better for Python; likewise, the more that people have to mention
> the existence of C in a Python context, the worse for Python.  This may
> be a somewhat extreme viewpoint, but that's my position.

In 1990 I wrote a paper elaborating this. http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=126471
It is dated (before python, java, haskell and the internet as we know
it today)
It is also dated in the sense that I dont totally agree with the
strong views therein (I was half my age then :-)

Still if you want it its here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P-BQtpyzjjjOKxzhKjIGI-GLMXW5bOZ6xYBJhApwqLc/edit?hl=en

[PS Does not read properly in google docs though it reads ok in
acroread and evince ]