[Edu-sig] Fw: NICHOLAS PETRELEY: "The Open Source" from InfoWorld.com, Wednesday, May 23, 2001

[dcraig]

Hope this is appropriate to post.

Dave Craig
----- Original Message -----
From: <OpenSource@bdcimail.com>
To: <dcraig@cris.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 9:09 AM
Subject: NICHOLAS PETRELEY: "The Open Source" from InfoWorld.com, Wednesday,
May 23, 2001


> ========================================================
> NICHOLAS PETRELEY:   "The Open Source"    InfoWorld.com
> ========================================================
>
> Wednesday, May 23, 2001
>
> Advertising Sponsor - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> The I's Have It
> For Net Prophet Jessica Davis, the I in I-commerce stands
> for insight and irreverence. There's plenty of Internet
> news. Jessica's interested in what it all means - and that
> doesn't mean ponderous punditry. She passes on business
> tips and belly laughs along with some big ideas. Net
> Prophet: prophecy to profit by, e-mailed to you every
> Tuesday. To subscribe, go to
> http://www.iwsubscribe.com/newsletters
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
>
> CAUGHT IN PYTHON'S GRIP
>
> Posted at May 18, 2001 01:01 PM PST Pacific
>
>
> I'M A BIG FAN of the open-source programming language
> called Python. In case you're wondering, Python is
> indeed named after the British Broadcasting Corp.
> comedy group Monty Python. It was created in about
> 1990 by Guido van Rossum, a fan of Monty Python. Since
> then it has matured at a phenomenal rate, thanks to
> its open-source nature.
>
> In its current state, Python miraculously manages to
> combine simplicity with incredible depth and breadth.
> On the one hand, Python is very similar to Java in how
> one might apply it to build solutions and the kind of
> features it supports. Like Java, it is
> object-oriented, runs byte code, and works well for
> server-side Web applications. Like Java, you can use
> Python to build client-side applets. Netscape has a
> plug-in for this, but nobody seems to use it and it's
> not supported anymore. Why does nobody use it? Because
> you can write applets in Python and compile them into
> Java byte code for use with any Java 1.1-enabled
> browser. These are but a few examples of Python's depth.
>
> Unlike Java, Python is ideal for tossing together a
> quick script to do mundane work. If you're a casual
> Linux user, you have probably executed many Python
> scripts and applets without knowing it. People use
> Python this way because it is even easier to use for
> mundane tasks than Unix shell script languages and
> infinitely more powerful. That demonstrates its breadth.
>
> I don't mean to rekindle the Python versus Java wars
> that raged a few years back. Both languages have their
> place. Neither is perfect for every need, although
> Python is closer to being a one-size-fits-all language
> than Java. But I happen to be as big a fan of Java as
> I am Python.
>
> I draw the comparison because you would do well to
> consider both Python and Java if you're about to
> embark on a new Web application project. You just
> might find that Python is more appropriate for your
> particular task than Java.
>
> One of the first things you'll notice about Python is
> its unique way of grouping statements. Python uses
> indentation to parse its code. Most C programmers tend
> to use indentation to make their code readable. You
> type an "if" statement, go to the next line, indent
> farther than the "if" statement, and then type the
> code that is executed if the condition is true.
>
> Although C programmers don't have to use indentation,
> you do it simply because it makes it easier to
> understand the programming logic when you come back to
> the code later. In contrast, if you don't indent
> Python statements properly your program won't run. You
> can use tabs, spaces, or a mix of the two, but you
> have to be consistent.
>
> That feels rather odd when you first start programming
> in Python, but it only takes a few minutes before you
> realize that it is not only an intuitive way to
> program, it pushes you to create code that is more
> readable, and therefore easier to maintain.
>
> The other thing you'll notice is that it is as easy to
> create Python classes (objects) as it is to toss
> together a procedural script. So much so that you
> often end up using objects in Python even when you
> don't have to. This makes your code more reusable,
> which is always a good thing.
>
> I've barely scratched the surface of what Python is and
> what it can do. If I've piqued your interest, visit
> www.python.org for more information. Once you learn
> your way around Python and are ready to start
> programming I recommend you pick up Programming Python
> by Mark Lutz, from the O'Reilly series, now in its 2nd
> Edition.Next week I'll discuss options available for
> server-side Web applications programming with Python.
>
> Nicholas Petreley is the founding editor of
> VarLinux.org (www.varlinux.org) and LinuxWorld. Reach
> him at nicholas@petreley.com.
>
>
>
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> THE LATEST IN LINUX FROM INFOWORLD:
>
> * New worm tries to fix infected Linux systems
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/01/05/17/010517hncheese.xml?0522tul
i
>
> * IBM unveils Linux resource portal
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/01/05/11/010511hnibmlinux.xml?0522t
uli
>
> * TO THE EDITOR
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/op/xml/01/05/14/010514opletters.xml?0522tu
li
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
> QUOTE OF THE DAY:
>
> "In a little more than a month, AOL will be able to disclaim
> all the warranties it wants and will be able to rely on the
> law to back it up."
>
> --The Gripe Line's Ed Foster continues to warn readers about
> the impact of the Uniform Computer Information Transactions
> Act.
>
>
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/op/xml/01/05/21/010521opfoster.xml?0523wel
i
>
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
> SUBSCRIBE
> To subscribe to any of InfoWorld's e-mail newsletters,
> tell your friends and colleagues to go to:
> http://www.iwsubscribe.com/newsletters/
>
> To subscribe to InfoWorld.com, or InfoWorld Print,
> or both, go to http://www.iwsubscribe.com
>
> UNSUBSCRIBE
> If you want to unsubscribe from InfoWorld's Newsletters,
> go to http://iwsubscribe.com/newsletters/unsubscribe/
>
> CHANGE E-MAIL
> If you want to change the e-mail address where
> you are receiving InfoWorld newsletters, go to
> http://iwsubscribe.com/newsletters/adchange/
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
> Sign up for hands-on, highly interactive courses
> covering topics such as HTML, DHTML, FrontPage, Java,
> Visual InterDev, and more. Even gain the latest tips on
> E-Commerce and E-Business, from getting started to
> marketing your E-Business.
> Package: Web Development
> Cost:$96.00, # of Courses: 60+, Subscription: One Year
> Sign up now for InfoWorld's web-based training.
> http://webtraining.infoworld.com?0523wedopensrc
>
>
> Advertising Sponsor - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> The I's Have It
> For Net Prophet Jessica Davis, the I in I-commerce stands
> for insight and irreverence. There's plenty of Internet
> news. Jessica's interested in what it all means - and that
> doesn't mean ponderous punditry. She passes on business
> tips and belly laughs along with some big ideas. Net
> Prophet: prophecy to profit by, e-mailed to you every
> Tuesday. To subscribe, go to
> http://www.iwsubscribe.com/newsletters
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
> Copyright 2001 InfoWorld Media Group Inc.
>
>
>
>
> This message was sent to:  dcraig@cris.com
>