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| How many people code in C these days, and if so, why? |
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| Wojciech Krolopp:
Using C is like driving a car with manual gearbox. It's great fun and about as simple as it can get (only engine, clutch, gearbox, transmission and finally wheels). Sure, you need some practice, you need to think what you're doing but millions of people do it every day safely. Interpreted languages like Python or LISP are similar to modern cars with automatic gearboxes. They are electronic, full of nice features, automation and safety devices but they are also sluggish (because emission regulations!) and lack any fun of driving. And when they break they cost thousands of zlotys for parts like some stupid sensor. |O I think people who code in Python are the same people who drive cars with automatic gearboxes. They are just clueless and don't want to use their brain. Computer engineer needs to understand what's going on under the hood, otherwise is he an engineer or just monkey who pushes "ok" button? For daily driving I have a 1997 VW Passat B3 that I will use as long as it keeps running and passes yearly inspections. Spare parts are cheap too! I also own ex-military FSR Honker with Polish-made Andoria 4C90 engine that I fixed myself (some rust needed to be welded-over). Honker has zero electronics and is very reliable when you know what to check periodically. It's great car to go camping in remote areas because it will drive almost through everything (like old Land Rovers). Once I had a chance to drive car with automatic gearbox and it was a horror. You have no control over vehicle whatsoever. |
| paulca:
--- Quote from: Wojciech Krolopp on May 19, 2020, 06:26:21 am ---I think people who code in Python are the same people who drive cars with automatic gearboxes. They are just clueless and don't want to use their brain. Computer engineer needs to understand what's going on under the hood, otherwise is he an engineer or just monkey who pushes "ok" button? --- End quote --- Firstly. I program Python quite a lot and I drive a manual car, always have. I think your analogue is somewhat lacking in perspective. Them: We are going to write it in python... You: But it's slow! Them: Don't care. Don't need speed. You: But people don't need to understand how it does everything. Them: Exactly. You: But you could write that in C in two weeks man! Them: LOL, You have 1 day. You: .... oh .... |
| Berni:
--- Quote from: Wojciech Krolopp on May 19, 2020, 06:26:21 am ---I think people who code in Python are the same people who drive cars with automatic gearboxes. They are just clueless and don't want to use their brain. Computer engineer needs to understand what's going on under the hood, otherwise is he an engineer or just monkey who pushes "ok" button? --- End quote --- I also occasionally program in python but still prefer a manual transmission car. At the same time i like C for when it is appropriate such as MCUs or low level stuff. Python is not designed to do the same thing as C. For example do you rewrite your .sh shell scripts in C so that they would run faster and use less memory? Yes Python commits some serious programming sins in the way code is written in it. But you can't deny its a really quick and easy way of getting stuff done. Go ahead try timing yourself writing a parser for some obscure ASCII file format in C and then time someone else who is used to Python program the same things. Even if the file is 1MB in size both C and Python will parse in the time it takes you to blink. If the file is 10GB in size and you have 1000 of them to parse trough on a daily basis then yeah you might want to go for C so that you don't sit around and wait for it each day. If you only need to run a few 1MB files trough it once, does it really matter if it takes 100ms longer and 2MB more RAM in exchange for the hours more work to program it? |
| bd139:
--- Quote from: Wojciech Krolopp on May 19, 2020, 06:26:21 am ---Using C is like driving a car with manual gearbox. It's great fun and about as simple as it can get (only engine, clutch, gearbox, transmission and finally wheels). Sure, you need some practice, you need to think what you're doing but millions of people do it every day safely. Interpreted languages like Python or LISP are similar to modern cars with automatic gearboxes. They are electronic, full of nice features, automation and safety devices but they are also sluggish (because emission regulations!) and lack any fun of driving. And when they break they cost thousands of zlotys for parts like some stupid sensor. |O I think people who code in Python are the same people who drive cars with automatic gearboxes. They are just clueless and don't want to use their brain. Computer engineer needs to understand what's going on under the hood, otherwise is he an engineer or just monkey who pushes "ok" button? For daily driving I have a 1997 VW Passat B3 that I will use as long as it keeps running and passes yearly inspections. Spare parts are cheap too! I also own ex-military FSR Honker with Polish-made Andoria 4C90 engine that I fixed myself (some rust needed to be welded-over). Honker has zero electronics and is very reliable when you know what to check periodically. It's great car to go camping in remote areas because it will drive almost through everything (like old Land Rovers). Once I had a chance to drive car with automatic gearbox and it was a horror. You have no control over vehicle whatsoever. --- End quote --- If you're in an accident in your 1997 Passat you are dead. Most people drive like idiots. QED. |
| chriva:
90's cars are mostly fine. If you drive around in something from the 60's with a stiff window and no collapsable zones I'd agree tho... Nothing wrong with python. The problem is the idiots using it for stuff it's not meant to be used for. Like micropython on microcontrollers. Utterly idiotic... |
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