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Message:

Python, Perl-like?

Posted by Matt Gerrans on December 10, 2001 at 4:20 PM

> well, do u recommend me learning python rather than ejb, j2me.. blah blah?
> I highly recommend learning python as a full-featured replacement for blah blah.

Seriously, Python is a excellent tool to have, but it doesn't replace the Java platform. EJB is probably pretty marketable and j2me may be, too.

> what exactly is it good in?
> It's a perl-like language. Good for prototyping, scripting. or more serious development.

Now, I have to take issue with this. Calling Python "perl-like" is an insult! Python is infinitely more elegant in its syntax. I found Perl a pain to learn and use, whereas Python is a joy.

Python is useful for scripting in the same as Perl, for such things as text and file manipulation and lots of miscellaneous tasks. Python's biggest asset is probably its "productivity at the cursor" philosophy - so many things that are cumbersome in other languages are really intuitive and easy to do by default in Python.

> i haven't been seeing anybody around me using python before..
> Is this really the best forum to discuss your inadequacies? ;-)

Actually, I've just started learning a bit of Ruby and that is purported to be more popular in Asia (probably because it originated in Japan). Ruby is another object-oriented scripting language that some people seem to think is even better than Python (I haven't learned enough to render an opinion, but one thing I like about Python that Ruby doesn't have is the indent-delimited scoping).

- mfg