another beginner sort of question

[John Salerno]

Ok, like I mentioned before, I'm learning C# for fun. I'm interested in
learning Python sort of as a "supplement" (by that, I mean a language
with scripting capabilities that can do things maybe simpler than C#
might). One concern I have about learning them simultaneously is that
I'll start to get overwhelmed and mix things up, but I think I'm at
least smart enough not to do that!

My other concern is exactly how indepth I'll need to go with Python. I
enjoy learning about the details of C# and the .NET Framework, but I
think in order to keep things simple (in terms of learning two languages
at once), I won't really get into the "behind the scenes" stuff with
Python. I plan to just learn it well enough to write small scripts here
and there.

So my question is, is this feasible? Or does learning Python require (or
entail) learning all the details behind it? Also, do I need to know
anything about C or C++? Python seems to connected to those languages
that I'm afraid learning Python by itself might not be practical, but
hopefully that's unfounded.

Thanks!

 

[Mike Meyer]

So my question is, is this feasible?

Should be. It might be faster to do them sequentually.

Or does learning Python require (or entail) learning all the details
behind it?

Not really. There are some traps you can fall into that are obvious if
you know how the underlying implementation works, but even for those,
you just need the general idea, not the details.

Also, do I need to know anything about C or C++?

No. In fact, the less you know about them, the less you'll have to
unlearn to use Python effectively.

Python seems to connected to those languages that I'm afraid
learning Python by itself might not be practical, but hopefully
that's unfounded.

CPython (the implementation most people mean when they say "Python")
is written in C, and has well-defined APIs for putting an interpreter
into a C program, or making functionality from a C library available
to a CPython program. Other implementations have similar hooks for
different languages. Unless you want to get into the internals of an
implementation, to embed Python in an application, or to write a
Python extension (usually because you're wrapping an existing
library), you won't need to worry about any of these.

One thing. While Python is called a "scripting language", it doesn't
have facilities for dealing with shell scripting that other "scripting
languages" have. As such, it's harder to do shell scripting type
things in Python than in those languages. On the other hand, it's
easier than doing them in C, for the same reason that doing pretty
much anything in Python is easier than doing it in C. On the gripping
hand, if you do things pythonically instead of like you'd do them in a
shell script, you may find that Python is easier than the shell
script.

<mike

 

[John Salerno]

Thanks!

Should be. It might be faster to do them sequentually.




Not really. There are some traps you can fall into that are obvious if
you know how the underlying implementation works, but even for those,
you just need the general idea, not the details.




No. In fact, the less you know about them, the less you'll have to
unlearn to use Python effectively.




CPython (the implementation most people mean when they say "Python")
is written in C, and has well-defined APIs for putting an interpreter
into a C program, or making functionality from a C library available
to a CPython program. Other implementations have similar hooks for
different languages. Unless you want to get into the internals of an
implementation, to embed Python in an application, or to write a
Python extension (usually because you're wrapping an existing
library), you won't need to worry about any of these.

One thing. While Python is called a "scripting language", it doesn't
have facilities for dealing with shell scripting that other "scripting
languages" have. As such, it's harder to do shell scripting type
things in Python than in those languages. On the other hand, it's
easier than doing them in C, for the same reason that doing pretty
much anything in Python is easier than doing it in C. On the gripping
hand, if you do things pythonically instead of like you'd do them in a
shell script, you may find that Python is easier than the shell
script.

<mike