What is an example in which knowing C will make me write better code in any other language?

Question

In the Stack Overflow podcasts, Joel Spolsky constantly harps on Jeff Atwood about Jeff not knowing how to write code in C. His statement is that \"knowing C helps you write bet

Answer 1

Knowing C is really not worth much. Many of us who know C deeply like to think that all that deep insight is valuable and important.

Some of us who know C can't think of a single specific feature of C that's helpful to know about.

Knowing how pointers work in C (especially with C's syntax) isn't all that helpful. In a high-level language your statements create objects and manage their interaction. Pointers and references are -- perhaps -- interesting from a hypothetical point of view. But the knowledge has no practical impact on how you use Java or Python.

The higher-level languages are the way they are. Knowing how doesn't change those languages; it doesn't change how you use them, debug or test them.

Knowing how to create or manipulate a linked list has no earthly impact on Python list class definition. None.

Knowing the difference between Linked List and Array List might help you write a Java program. But the C implementation doesn't help you choose between Linked List and Array List. The decision is independent of knowing C.

A bad algorithm is bad in every language. Knowing inner mysteries of C doesn't make a bad algorithm any less bad. Knowing C doesn't help you know the Java collections or the Python built-in types.

I can't see any value in learning C. Learning Fortran is just as valuable.