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Re: shift vs @_

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From:
David Christensen
Date:
May 21, 2012 22:32
Subject:
Re: shift vs @_
Message ID:
4FBB24D7.7020301@holgerdanske.com
On 05/21/2012 08:37 PM, Steve Bertrand wrote:
> On 2012-05-21 21:10, David Christensen wrote:
>> Therefore, performance is first and clarity is second.
> Would you not agree that these are pretty extreme cases to be making
> such a wide-reaching decision on?

Please trim your replies.


No, I don't think the Sieve of Eratosthenes is an extreme case.  It's an 
excellent mathematics/ computer science (theory) and computer 
programming (application) teaching problem -- it's concrete, it can be 
understood by people with a primary-level education, solutions can be 
readily verified and compared, and the subject has relevant practical 
applications (e.g. cryptography).


> I don't know your experience,

I have ME and EE degrees and used to work as an embedded systems 
software engineer back in the dot-com days.  Now I work as an 
electrician.  I've been using Perl since 1998, and haven't found 
anything better.


> but mine
> is that I've only encountered extremely elaborate code that requires
> extreme optimization a few times.

I used to see it more on embedded systems.  The stuff I do on PC's isn't 
too critical, but I do have a few backup/ verification utility scripts 
that do matter.  And, Moose CGI scripts are *pigs*; I need to upgrade to 
a persistent technology.


> Please remember... this is a *beginner* list. Promoting premature
> optimization before clarity is not in the best interest of the intended
> audience imho.

This mailing list title may include the word "beginner", but Perl is no 
beginner's language.


Exploring and measuring alternatives is a useful skill for all Perl 
programmers, including beginners.


David

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