[Tutor] small program in Python and in C++

[alan.gauld@bt.com]

> up writing a C++ equivalent for someone else a few minutes 
> 
> ...or if anyone cared to point out other ways

Not so much other ways but I notice you define your variables 
in C++ just before using them.

That's a recipe for disaster! If you write more than a few 
hundered lines of code finding your definitions will be murder. 
Imagine discovering that a certain int has to be made a long. 
Now find where within several hundred lines you declared it. 
Ok you can use search functions but it's much easier to just 
go to the top of the function!

Its much more maintainable to group declarations at the 
top of the containing scope(function/file etc). The only 
reasonable exception to this are single letter variablers 
used as loop counters etc.

Others might disagree but I think most regular C++'ers 
will back this up.

Alan G.