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Simon Willison’s Weblog

Views on Python

Two views on Python, from Kevin Altis and NTK respectively:

Python is an Agile programming language!

Python is like the Lament Configuration in Hellraiser: looks like an exotic puzzle, is actually a gateway to a world of programming discipline and pleasure beyond pain.

Posted 10th April 2003 at 2:44 pm

This is Views on Python by Simon Willison, posted on 10th April 2003.

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4 comments

  1. One good metric: how many ex-Python programmers do you know? Maybe it's a function of it's recent popularity growth (like Ruby), but I know many former-Perl and former-Java programmers who use the language, and none who have gone in the opposite direction. Hell, it might even get some of the older guys to finally let go of Lisp and SmallTalk.

    Joe Grossberg - 10th April 2003 19:31 - #

  2. Seems like Agile truely is the current buzzword... I wonder where I can work it into my CV :-P

    <troll> "Finally let go of Lisp" - well seeing as Python IS just Lisp, but without the most exotic features, maybe we will see more people moving TO Lisp (well maybe in 5 years when the stigma has almost gone and we'll be starting to get over Java 3, Perl 6 and Python :P) </troll>

    Swannie - 11th April 2003 02:07 - #

  3. Python is Lisp, if you ignore syntax. Lisp's unusual (not necessarily bad!) syntax is a huge reason why it's never been widely adopted. Compare: (setq x (+ 1 2)) x = 1 + 2 Python is really, really easy to learn. That is an important consideration in people adopting it. Python is also really easy to read. That's an important consideration in people sticking with it.

    Joe Grossberg - 11th April 2003 18:59 - #

  4. Crap. One of these days I'll remember that Simon doesn't auto-convert line breaks, despite disallowing <BR> tags. Or he'll be like everyone else in that respect. :)

    Python is Lisp, if you ignore syntax. Lisp's unusual (not necessarily bad!) syntax is a huge reason why it's never been widely adopted.

    Compare:

    (setq x (+ 1 2))

    x = 1 + 2

    Python is really, really easy to learn. That is an important consideration in people adopting it.

    Python is also really easy to read. That's an important consideration in people sticking with it.

    Joe Grossberg - 11th April 2003 19:02 - #

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