o1bigtenor said on Sun, 3 Nov 2024 06:55:25 -0600


>Can't comment on the differences between learning Python and C but I
>can tell you that if you learn to drive using a manual transmission
>you won't have to 'learn' how to drive using an automatic.

The preceding is a true statement. Read on.

>IMO the
>flexibility of a manual transmission way outweighs any much
>convenience of the automatic (I vastly prefer a manual transmission is
>poor driving conditions).

I agree with your preceding sentence. My 2012 Jeep Patriot has a weak
little 2.0 liter engine. But because of its 5 speed manual
transmission, I can keep up with most vehicles up to 45 or 50 miles per
hour, which is fast enough for me to easily merge onto all but the most
busy freeways.

So your first assertion is true from pure logic, and your second
assertion I agree with.

BUT, I strongly believe that people should learn to drive on automatic
transmissions, and then, once driving is muscle memory, *then* learn to
drive a stick.

This is part of two of the things I live by:

1) The Rapid Learning Process 
    https://www.troubleshooters.com/bookstore/rl21.htm
    (See the flowcharts)

2) Do the easy stuff first 
    https://www.troubleshooters.com/tpromag/200008/200008.htm

If I've understood your part of this thread, this will be your first
foray into programming other than shellscripts. If you start with
Python, you get an easy intro into arrays, structures, key/value
collections, branching, loops, subroutines, classes and objects.
Learning these things in C (where the closest to a class is a type with
grouped data and pointers to subroutines) you encounter all sorts of
compile time limitations and runtime gotchas.

[snip]

>Oh well - - - on with the learning (Python, C, R, Ada and shell
>scripting) - - - argh - - - - what a mountain!!

Your first language is the hardest. Each additional one is easier to
learn. Just do one step at a time and you'll be fine.

SteveT

Steve Litt

http://444domains.com