Python 2.0

[Peter A. Koren]

"Raymond G. Beausoleil" wrote:
> 
> Although I have not followed the recent evolution of Java very carefully, I have strong misgivings
> about the compromises made in the numerical core of Java. For details, I recommend a quick
> review of William Kahan's presentation on this topic:
> 
> http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~wkahan/JAVAhurt.pdf
> 
> I'm new to Python, but I'm very excited about NumPy and PIL, and I wonder what compromises
> would have to made to these extensions if Python were rewritten in Java?
> 

Has Sun done anything about Kahan's objections? This is indeed a serious
matter. A huge percentage of the statistically based studies prior to
the works of Wilkinson and later, Lawson and Hanson, was garbage,
because of poor numerics. This is a show stopper issue for Java in
science and engineering.

If Java does not change, it should be rejected. Too bad. I am a Linux
junkie and would love to see a reformed Java win and Microsoft lose.

I too am thrilled by NumPy, PIL and the other scientific packages that
Hugunin, Hinsen, and Andrich have cooked up and/or packaged. The user
community is as important as the language and Python is rich in both
respects.

--Regards,

Peter Koren