Donald E. Knuth in Python, cont'd

[Antti J Ylikoski]

On 11.4.2012 23:20, John Nagle wrote:
> On 4/11/2012 6:03 AM, Antti J Ylikoski wrote:
>>
>> I wrote about a straightforward way to program D. E. Knuth in Python,
>> and received an excellent communcation about programming Deterministic
>> Finite Automata (Finite State Machines) in Python.
>>
>> The following stems from my Knuth in Python programming exercises,
>> according to that very good communication. (By Roy Smith.)
>>
>> I'm in the process of delving carefully into Knuth's brilliant and
>> voluminous work The Art of Computer Programming, Parts 1--3 plus the
>> Fascicles in Part 4 -- the back cover of Part 1 reads:
>>
>> "If you think you're a really good programmer -- read [Knuth's] Art of
>> Computer Programming... You should definitely send me a résumé if you
>> can read the whole thing." -- Bill Gates.
>>
>> (Microsoft may in the future receive some e-mail from me.)
>
> You don't need those books as much as you used to.
> You don't have to write collections, hash tables, and sorts much
> any more. Those are solved problems and there are good libraries.
> Most of the basics are built into Python.
>
> Serious programmers should read those books, much as they should
> read von Neumann's "First Draft of a Report on the EDVAC", for
> background on how things work down at the bottom. But they're
> no longer essential desk references for most programmers.
>
> John Nagle

Well -- so far I have read about a half of the Part I -- and for an 
individual with a modern computer science education, the contents are 
rather familiar and easy.

Andy Y.