Defending Python

[Charlie Calvert]

I perhaps rather foolishly wrote two article that mentioned Python as a
good alternative language to more popular tools such as C# or Java. I
encountered more resistance than I had expected. If someone who really
knows a lot about Python would like to go over to the CodeFez website
and defend Python a bit better than I can, that would be appreciated.

The articles are called "The War of the Virtual Bills," and "Ranking
Languages: Fear as a Career Move."

Here are the links:

http://www.codefez.com

http://www.codefez.com/Home/tabid/3...Id/135/RankingLanguagesFearasaCareerMove.aspx

http://www.codefez.com/Home/tabid/3...ew/articleId/134/TheWaroftheVirtualBills.aspx

Thanks.

- Charlie

 

[Tim Daneliuk]

I perhaps rather foolishly wrote two article that mentioned Python as a
good alternative language to more popular tools such as C# or Java. I
encountered more resistance than I had expected. If someone who really
knows a lot about Python would like to go over to the CodeFez website
and defend Python a bit better than I can, that would be appreciated.

The articles are called "The War of the Virtual Bills," and "Ranking
Languages: Fear as a Career Move."

Here are the links:

http://www.codefez.com

http://www.codefez.com/Home/tabid/3...Id/135/RankingLanguagesFearasaCareerMove.aspx


http://www.codefez.com/Home/tabid/3...ew/articleId/134/TheWaroftheVirtualBills.aspx


Thanks.

- Charlie

Something I wrote some time ago might be relevant:

http://www.tundraware.com/Technology/Python-Is-Middleware/

 

[Dave Cook]

I perhaps rather foolishly wrote two article that mentioned Python as a
good alternative language to more popular tools such as C# or Java. I

Sounds like a really hidebound bunch over there. Good luck.

Dave Cook

 

[Raymond Hettinger]

The posts do share an erroneous, implied assumption that the investment
in learning each language is equal. Python has a strong competitive
advantage over Java and C++ in terms of learnability. A person can get
up to speed in a few days with Python. That certainly is not true for
C++ which is more of a lifetime learning project.

The negative reaction is likely due to the phrasing of the question in
choosing popular language X over language Y. But if Y is easy to
learn, there is no reason for it to preclude X. As a career builder,
it is better to be able to work with multiple languages. So, I would
recommend Python to these folks as an easily acquired extra skill.


Raymond Hettinger

 

[Donn Cave]

Quoth Dave Cook <[email protected]>:
|
|> I perhaps rather foolishly wrote two article that mentioned Python as a
|> good alternative language to more popular tools such as C# or Java. I
|
| Sounds like a really hidebound bunch over there. Good luck.

Nah, just normal. Evangelism is always wasted on the majority of
listeners, but to the small extent it may succeed it depends on
really acute delineation of the pitch. It's very hard for people
to hear about something without trying to apply it directly to the
nearest equivalent thing in their own familiar context. Say good
things about language X, and people will hear you saying "give up
using language Y and rewrite everything in language X." Then they
will conclude that if you would say that, you don't know very much
about their environment.

Donn Cave, (e-mail address removed)

 

[Brian]

So, I would recommend Python to these
> folks as an easily acquired extra skill.

I agree 100% with your statement above. Python may not be sufficient
for being the only programming language that one needs to know -- yet,
it does come in VERY handy for projects that need to perform tasks on
non-Microsoft operating systems.

Brian
---

 

[Grant Edwards]

I agree 100% with your statement above. Python may not be sufficient
for being the only programming language that one needs to know -- yet,
it does come in VERY handy for projects that need to perform tasks on
non-Microsoft operating systems.

It's also darned handy for projects that need to perform tasks
on Microsft operating systems but you want to do all the
development work under a real OS.

 

[Bruno Desthuilliers]

Grant Edwards a écrit :

It's also darned handy for projects that need to perform tasks
on Microsft operating systems but you want to do all the
development work under a real OS.

It's also darned handy for projects that need to perform tasks on
Microsft operating systems.

 

[Jorey Bump]

Grant Edwards a écrit :

It's also darned handy for projects that need to perform tasks on
Microsft operating systems.

It's also darned handy for projects that need to perform tasks... Or
don't... And for other things besides projects...

Anyway, it's darned handy!

 

[Bruno Desthuilliers]

Jorey Bump a écrit :

It's also darned handy for projects that need to perform tasks... Or
don't... And for other things besides projects...

Anyway, it's darned handy!

it's.

 

[Jorey Bump]

Jorey Bump a écrit :

it's.

+1 for this becoming the official name of Python 3000.

And now for something completely different...

The larch!

 

[Peter Hansen]

+1 for this becoming the official name of Python 3000.

And now for something completely different...

The larch!

Sorry, already taken:

'''Larch - John Guttag and Jim Horning <[email protected]>. The Larch
Project develops aids for formal specifications. Each Larch
specification has two components: an interface containing predicates
written in the LIL (Larch Interface Language) designed for the target
language and a 'trait' containing assertions about the predicates
written in LSL, the Larch Shared Language common to all. "The Larch
Family of Specification Languages", J. Guttag et al, IEEE Trans Soft Eng
2(5):24-365 (Sep 1985). "Larch: Languages and Tools for Formal
Specification", Guttag and Horning, Springer 1993.'''

Maybe "Ni!"?

-Peter

 

[Lucas Raab]

Sorry, already taken:

'''Larch - John Guttag and Jim Horning <[email protected]>. The Larch
Project develops aids for formal specifications. Each Larch
specification has two components: an interface containing predicates
written in the LIL (Larch Interface Language) designed for the target
language and a 'trait' containing assertions about the predicates
written in LSL, the Larch Shared Language common to all. "The Larch
Family of Specification Languages", J. Guttag et al, IEEE Trans Soft Eng
2(5):24-365 (Sep 1985). "Larch: Languages and Tools for Formal
Specification", Guttag and Horning, Springer 1993.'''

Maybe "Ni!"?

-Peter

Lumberjack??

--
--------------------------
Lucas Raab
lvraab"@"earthlink.net
dotpyFE"@"gmail.com
AIM: Phoenix11890
MSN: dotpyfe "@" gmail.com
IRC: lvraab
ICQ: 324767918
Yahoo: Phoenix11890

 

[Jorey Bump]

^^^^

Monty Python's Flying Circus used to begin with "It's..." I had read at one
time that "It's" was one of the original names proposed for the
troupe/show, although I can't seem to find verification.

Of course, based on some of the concerns voiced about Python 3000, maybe
"It's Only A Flesh Wound" would be better.

This was simply a nonsequitur:

IT'S A TREE

 

[Andrew Durdin]

IT'S A TREE

.... not a shrubbery?

 

[Brett g Porter]

Monty Python's Flying Circus used to begin with "It's..." I had read at one
time that "It's" was one of the original names proposed for the
troupe/show, although I can't seem to find verification.

"In fact, one of the titles of the show was 'It's', so he must have been
in there fairly early on. On a list of titles I've got scribbled in a
notebook was 'It's' and just 'It,' so that's probably where he came from."

-- Michael Palin (referring to the "It's" man) in _The First 20 Years
of Monty Python_ by Kim "Howard" Johnson (St. Martin's Press, 1989), p.20