From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.2 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID, REPLYTO_WITHOUT_TO_CC autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: fc89c,97188312486d4578 X-Google-Attributes: gidfc89c,public X-Google-Thread: 1014db,6154de2e240de72a X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public X-Google-Thread: 109fba,baaf5f793d03d420 X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,97188312486d4578 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: cjsonnack@mmm.com (Chris Sonnack) Subject: Re: What's the best language to start with? [was: Re: Should I learn C or Pascal?] Date: 1996/08/12 Message-ID: <4unet9$rab@dawn.mmm.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 173706673 references: <31FBC584.4188@ivic.qc.ca> <01bb83f5$923391e0$87ee6fce@timpent.airshields.com> <01bb8534$b2718bc0$87ee6fce@timpent.airshields.com> <4ud81d$5ii@solutions.solon.com> <4ug5u5$kha@dawn.mmm.com> <01bb86f6$d92cf6a0$32ee6fce@timhome2> followup-to: comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++,comp.unix.programmer,comp.lang.ada organization: 3M/IT/EIS (St.Paul,MN 55144) reply-to: cjsonnack@mmm.com (Chris Sonnack) newsgroups: comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++,comp.unix.programmer,comp.lang.ada Date: 1996-08-12T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: Dan Pop (Dan.Pop@cern.ch) wrote: >>> They're both pretty clear. And any real programmer knows rule #27: "There >>> should be no constants in your code except the numbers 1 and 0, and you >>> should view those with suspicion." >> >> I would say, "There should be no constants in your code except 0. Tests >> should be less than, equal, greater than, or not equal 0. Otherwise, >> it better involve a symbol." > > This is ludicrous. When coding a binary search, NO symbol will be better > than the constant 2. Ditto for the constant 10 when doing binary to > decimal conversions. And the list could go on and on. Absolutely! (Although generally binary searches don't need to divide by 2 so much as shift right one bit.) Like most "rules", there's always exceptions. But it's still a very good rule (of thumb). -- Chris Sonnack http://eishcq.mmm.com Engineering Information Services/Information Technology/3M, St.Paul, Minn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An intellectual is someone whose mind watches itself Opinions expressed herein are my own and may not represent those of my employer.