Editing 163: Donald Knuth
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | {{w|Donald Knuth}} is a computer science Professor Emeritus at {{w|Stanford University}} who is famous for writing | + | {{w|Donald Knuth}} is a computer science Professor Emeritus at {{w|Stanford University}} who is famous for writing {{w|The Art of Computer Programming}} and developing the <span class="texhtml"><span style="font-family:cmr10, LMRoman10-Regular, Times, serif;">T<span style="text-transform:uppercase; vertical-align:-0.5ex; margin-left:-0.1667em; margin-right:-0.125em;">e</span>X</span></span> computerized typesetting system. |
− | + | An "array" in computer science is a structure that holds multiple values, and is "indexed" by a number. In Pascal, for instance, one writes <tt>array[1]</tt> to access the first element in the array. Most "modern" (read: descended from C) languages use 0 as the index for the first element in the array, but it is possible (if one is careful about it) to ignore the 0th element and use 1 as the first index. [[Cueball]] is complaining that [[Black Hat]] was not consistent in his choice of where to start his arrays. | |
− | Black Hat | + | [[Black Hat]]'s citation of Donald Knuth implies that, in order to ask him about it, he broke into the professor's house, and has nothing to do with the argument over array indexes. |
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | :[Black Hat and Cueball are sitting back to back at two separate desks, typing | + | :[Black Hat and Cueball are sitting back to back at two separate desks, typing.] |
− | :Cueball: Man, you're being inconsistent with your array indices. Some are from one, some from zero. | + | :Cueball: Man, you're being inconsistent with your array indices. Some are from one, some are from zero. |
− | :Black Hat: Different tasks call for different conventions. To quote Stanford | + | :Black Hat: Different tasks call for different conventions. To quote Stanford algorithm's expert Donald Knuth, "Who are you? How did you get in my house?" |
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:Cueball: Wait, what? | :Cueball: Wait, what? | ||
:Black Hat: Well, that's what he said when I asked him about it. | :Black Hat: Well, that's what he said when I asked him about it. | ||
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]] | ||
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | ||
[[Category:Comics featuring Donald Knuth]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Donald Knuth]] | ||
[[Category:Programming]] | [[Category:Programming]] |