[Pyrex] C

[David McNab]

On Tue, 2003-06-24 at 02:34, Gerrit Holl wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> do I need to know C to use Pyrex?
> For example, I don't know what "int p[1000]" means.

If you're a programmer, you will always suffer a sense of helplessness
and disempowerment until you gain understanding and mastery of C-level
code.

The advantage of C is that it's a very straightforward translation into
the raw machine unstructions for each target machine. Very pure and
honest language with no mystery or esoteric crap. Another advantage is
that it's damn fast and compact.

One of the countless brilliant facets of the jewel called Python is its
respect shown to the programmer, in de-mystifying the interface to C. 
Yet another area where Python's developers got it right. Compare this to
the unmitigated torture of VM APIs like Java's JNI, which surely is the
API From Hell!!

If you feel aversion to C, all the more reason to put in the effort and
'pay your dues'.

There's a great book called 'The C Programming Language' by Brian W
Kernighan and Dennis M Ritchie. This book, affectionately called the
'Bible' by many, makes C very approachable, and introduces its concepts
in bite-sized chunks, offering revision questions and answers each step
of the way. What's a few days or weeks of your time, for something that
will empower you for decades to come?

If you can't find this book in your library/bookshop, and if you can't
warez it off Kazaa or the web, I'm sure that sites like
www.cprogramming.com will have tutorial resources.

In conclusion - don't be a victim. You owe it to yourself to know this
language - even if you don't end up programming in it, just knowing it
will get you out of no end of scrapes and put you on a much more secure
foundation as a programmer.

Cheers
David


> yours,
> Gerrit.
> 
> P.S.
> A CC would be appreciated
-- 
Kind regards
David

--

leave this line intact so your email gets through my junk mail filter