Re: maths for programming C++

Robbie Hatley wrote:
"Logan Shaw" <lshaw-usenet@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Richard Heathfield wrote:
August Karlstrom said:

And how would you define a great programmer?

Someone who values readability over correctness, and correctness over
everything else.

Um, I'm really hoping that contains a typo. Readability over correctness?!?
To paraphrase someone else, if correctness isn't a requirement, then I'll
just write

int main ()
{
}

and be done with it.

I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Heathfield on that. Buggy-
but-readable programs can easily be fixed.

Not necessarily. If fixing them makes them even slightly less
readable, then it's not allowed under the rules, because readability
is valued more than correctness.

Let me give a concrete example. Here's a program:

#include <stdio.h>

int main ()
{
size_t x = 8;

printf ("%d\n", x);
}

Now, here's a correct program (or at least one with fewer bugs):

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

int main (int argc, char *argv[])
{
size_t x = 8;

printf ("%lu\n", (unsigned long) x);

return 0;
}

Which one is more readable? To me, it's the first. There's less
clutter, and it's readily apparent what the programmer intended.
So, under the rules of readability over correctness, the second
program isn't allowed.

- Logan
.

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