Question about learning Python

[avi.e.gross at gmail.com]

Maybe we should ask WHY the person asking the question about how to learn a
computer language called Python is pairing it with the idea of whether to
also learn C.

What are they preparing for? Most people using Python have absolutely no
reason to learn C, or C++  or C# or JAVA or one of a bewildering number of
other languages. They may end up using functions that unknown to them have
been partially implemented using libraries created in C or other languages
but so what? They never see that except if they want to look at source code.

So are they looking for a job that will require not just Python but also C?

If anything, it is an impediment for many people to learn two rather
different languages at about the same time as many things are very different
and lessons in one often do not carry over well to the other. As examples, C
uses braces to group things and Python uses indentation and C tends to need
things like data types spelled out and Python mostly does not care what type
it is.

Now if a question is asked about how to learn a relatively few languages
with different paradigms that represent an assortment of ways to think about
and solve problems, sure, C might take a slot. But arguably you may want
something more modern that is somewhat descended from C as a compiled
language.

If your goal is to use Python in ways it is designed to be used, learning C
first may spoil your thinking and you may implement algorithms in Python
that loosely translate the way it is done in C but can be done much nicer
using Python costructs.


-----Original Message-----
From: Python-list <python-list-bounces+avi.e.gross=gmail.com at python.org> On
Behalf Of Meredith Montgomery
Sent: Wednesday, September 7, 2022 3:35 PM
To: python-list at python.org
Subject: Re: Question about learning Python

Maruful Islam <maruf.gibl at gmail.com> writes:

> I want to start learning python. I have a question about learning python. 
>
> Is learning C essential or not for learning python?

Surely not necessary.  There's a generous recent thread about books on
Python.  Have a look at it.
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