Re: C vs C++ for GTK

[Patrick <optomatic rogers com>]

Hi Micheal

Indeed, good advice!

I am planning on using Python for everything I can. I just need a little 
extra speed for data collection and threading during collection.

I think I will learn C so that I can re-use code from other open source 
projects.

All of this advice has been great, thanks to you and to everyone that 
posted!

-Patrick

Michael L Torrie wrote:
> Patrick wrote:
>   
> > Hi Everyone.
> >
> > Sorry for the flame war bait, I know how passionate language debates 
> > get  but I need some guidance. I am using PyGTK right now and I am happy 
> > with it, but a day is coming soon were the speed limitations and 
> > less-then-straight-forward threading will be an issue.
> >     
>
> I don't see any reason at all why a GUI done with PyGTK should be any
> slower than a GUI done with straight C.  Thus I don't see any compelling
> reason to abandon Python for C or C++.
>
> That said, however, Python sometimes isn't the right language to use for
> computationally-intensive tasks.
>
> Personally I think you are going about this the wrong way.  You could be
> wanting to do premature optimization.  Rather than trying to replace
> python, you should consider either extending python with C or C++, to
> replace the slowest and most-used computational paths, and stick with
> python for everything else. It's very easy to write python modules in C
> (10 hours to learn), or C++ (Boost makes it easy to wrap C++ classes and
> functions).  Alternatively you can code in C or C++ and embed Python to
> drive your GUI.
>
>   
> > I figure my next move should be to learn C or C++. I would like to stay 
> > up-to-date with things and I would like to be able to reuse GTK code 
> > from other Apps.
> >     
>
> When it comes to the basic API, translating a code-generated GUI between
> python and C++ (with GTKmm) should be very simple.  Even translating it
> to C won't be that hard either, except that you don't have an easy way
> to bind callbacks to a particular instance of data without some work,
> like setting data values and using the void *data argument on the callbacks.
>
>   
> > I thought that C++ must be the way to go as it can do everything that C 
> > can "plus plus" but some heavy hitters don't seem enthused with it, 
> > Linus Torvalds in particular has been quoted as calling it a "horrible 
> > language".
> >     
>
> >From my experience it is those that don't understand C++ and how to
> wield it that describe it that way.  Torvalds is biased anyway, since
> he's focused on kernel programming.
>
>   
> > I can only spend 8-12 hours a week programming, I am not a professional 
> > programmer, is C++ to complicated? Is C going out of date? Am I limited 
> > with C?
> >     
>
> C++ is complicated, but not overly so.  I feel that coming from Python,
> C++ is probably going to be easier for you to move to than C.
>
> Again, though, I think
>
>   
> > Thanks-Patrick
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > gtk-app-devel-list gnome org
> > http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/gtk-app-devel-list
> >
> >     
>
>
>