On Tue, 2007-01-16 at 09:38 +1100, Algis Kabaila wrote:
> 1. **My** needs and plans. I will say here only that the needs and plans
> relate to the text that I am writing under the GPL. A progress version
> (beta?) of the text can be seen at
> http://www.pcug.org.au/~akabaila/StructuralAnalysis. It is a rehashed
> university course text of an earlier book that I am co-author and the
> surviving copyright holder.
>
I've read it and it's indeed a introduction to StructuralAnalysis, as I
was them when I was on the university myself.
The only thing I don't understand what Python has to do with it. The
most lesson in computer science is maybe that you should use the right
tool for the right job. I find it rather strange that you write an
academical text on structural analysis, but combine that with an hobby-
like-text about Python.
If I want to analyse structure, I would use Pastran/Nastran or any other
tool which is designed for that. So if I read a book about structural
analysis, I expect it to explain a tool like Pastran/Nastra, and not a
Python-script.
If Patran is to specific, this kind of calculation should be done in
Matlap or an equivalent, imho. The only reason why one should use a real
programming language, is when speed comes around. (Although it's very
hard to do a matrix-operation faster then Matlab in any other language)
But when it comes to speed, you can't use Python. It's a script-
interpreter! Just like Matlab...
If you don't like C-like languages, because you like type-safe
programming, then use Pascal for things like this. And not Python. If
you use Python for these things, you simply 'go with the flow', follow
the hype and stopped thinking for yourself.
I read in your introduction about all computer-scientists writing their
first book - about Python. A right indication about the hype, I would
say.
Further one small remarks:
- Python isn't a programming language. Your introduction about Python
says: 'written in Python programming language. It is an interesting
interpreter'. Which is offcourse a contradiction in terminis. I guess
that you would never write something that stupid about structural
analysis in the book. (like: The structure is statically determinate, so
it can't be solved by equations of statics)
That about your choise for Python. But I think the idea of a GPL'ed text
about structural programming is a good idea.
About using Lazarus as a IDE for Python: some ppl here can react very
hostile to that idea. And that's for a reason. From time to time ppl
come here to tell us that Lazarus is great, but it's only a pity that
it's written/used for Pascal.
They do not understand that Lazarus is so great because it's written in
Pascal and used for Pascal...
Regards,
Joost.
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