Designing Large Systems with Python

[David Steuber]

Over my programming life, I have used a 'cowboy' programming style.
Once I have a general idea for a solution to a problem, I start
coding, using the text editor as sort of an etch-o-scetch.  This works 
fine for programs under about 10klocs (thousand lines of code), but it 
is rather fragile and doesn't hold up to larger programs or the
requested additions of un-anticipated features.

I've noticed the acedemic and industry attempts to solve the problem.
OOA/OOD, UML, design patterns, et al are all proposed solutions.

Meanwhile, languages like Ansi Common Lisp have had features that
allow you to prototype and build a large system at the same time.
That is, the specification of the system becomes the system.  People
have done the same thing with Visual Basic, so I am told.

What I am wondering about is the suitability of Python for specifying, 
a large system and building a prototype.  I have gotten myself rather
entrenched in the cowboy style and I would love it if Python supported 
that for larger systems.

One other thing.  Is the documentation that comes with Python
sufficient to gain mastery of the language, or should I consider
buying (yet) another book?

-- 
David Steuber
http://www.david-steuber.com

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A long memory is the most subversive idea in America.