On Thu, Nov 5, 2015 at 1:38 AM, rurpy--- via Python-list <python-list@python.org> wrote: > I'm afraid you are making a category error but perhaps that's in > part because I wasn't clear. I was not talking about computer > science. I was talking about human beings learning about computers. > Most people I know consider programming to be a higher level activity > than "using" a computer: editing, sending email etc. Many computer > users (not programmers) learn to use regular expressions as part > of using a computer without knowing anything about programming. > It was on that basis I called them more fundamental -- something > learned earlier which is expanded on and added to later. But you > have a bit of a point, perhaps "fundamental" was not the best choice > of word to communicate that.
The "fundamentals" of something are its most basic functions, not its most basic uses. The most common use of a computer might be to browse the web, but the fundamental functionality is arithmetic and logic. Setting aside the choice of word, though, I still don't think regular expressions are a more basic use of computing than loops and conditionals. A regex can't be used for anything other than string matching; they exist for one purpose, and one purpose only: to answer the question "Does this string match this pattern?". Sure, you can abuse that into a primality check and other forms of crazy arithmetic, but it's not what they truly do. I also would not teach regexes to people as part of an "introduction to computing" course, any more than I would teach the use of Microsoft Excel, which some such courses have been known to do. (And no, it's not because of the Microsoftness. I wouldn't teach LibreOffice Calc either.) You don't need to know how to work a spreadsheet as part of the basics of computer usage, and you definitely don't need an advanced form of text search. ChrisA -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
