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=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 109fba,baaf5f793d03d420 X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public X-Google-Thread: fc89c,97188312486d4578 X-Google-Attributes: gidfc89c,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,97188312486d4578 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: 1014db,6154de2e240de72a X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public From: tequila@interlog.com (Mark Eissler) Subject: Re: What's the best language to start with? [was: Re: Should I learn C or Pascal?] Date: 1996/08/07 Message-ID: #1/1 X-Deja-AN: 172687335 references: <01bb73e3.1c6a0060$6bf467ce@dave.iceslimited.com> <1996Jul20.124025.122789@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> <01bb7b06$311fabc0$87ee6fce@timpent.airshields.com> <31FBC584.4188@ivic.qc.ca> <01bb7da2$6c505ac0$96ee6fcf@timhome2> <01bb8027$de0e9c80$96ee6fcf@timhome2> <4u5a11$siv@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU> <01bb8342$88cc6f40$32ee6fcf@timhome2> <01bb83cc$fb35e180$87ee6fce@timpent.airshields.com> organization: Tequila Films Inc. newsgroups: comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++,comp.unix.programmer,comp.lang.ada Date: 1996-08-07T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: In article <01bb83cc$fb35e180$87ee6fce@timpent.airshields.com>, "Tim Behrendsen" wrote: > > Perhaps a better question is, which is more important: Learning > abstractions or algorithmic analysis? I say that algorithmic > analysis is 10 to 1 more important than abstractions. > As someone that studied something other than CS in University... I'd say that the ability to define an efficient algorithm is probably THE most important thing in design. That's step one. The algorithm can then be optimized according to CPU specs if one understands ASM. So figure it out. Code it. Tweak it. Obviously, someone that has no clue regarding things ASM won't be able to tell you if a certain "for" loop may be better implemented as a "while." Or, you could do it the MicroSoft way: just write it and if it's slow we'll make everyone upgrade their systems. Although I've never written anything in Assembler, I do have a working knowledge (waiting for the upgrade ;-} when prices come down) that allows me to understand what's happening when I see it. -- Mark Eissler | Now that my DNS is working... tequila@interlog.com | What will I do next weekend?? http://www.interlog.com/~tequila/ | --Configure SendMail!