Python/Perl Popularity (Re: A Mountain of Perl...)

[Bill Anderson]

tom__98 at my-deja.com wrote:
> 
> In article <200004102111.HAA03380 at envy.fulcrum.com.au>,
>   Richard.Jones at fulcrum.com.au wrote:
> > Tom you little troll-meister. Half those arguments
> > you cite are bollocks if you _really_ knew and
> > "greatly prefer" Python. Try again.
> 
> Maybe you can contribute more constructively:
> 
>  -- How can I browse the Python documentation without firing
>     up a web browser?  How do I get information on a single Python
>     function or class quickly?  Is there any equivalent of
>     "perldoc -f split" or "perldoc Net::POP3"?  What do you
>     do in that situation?


A) The docs are available in more than html (see the site)
B) load the interpreter, and print the doc string:
>>> import os
>>> print os.link.__doc__
link(src, dst) -> None
Create a hard link to a file.
>>> 

 
>  -- Is there a Python equivalent of CPAN and the Perl CPAN
>     module?  The closest I know of is Parnassus.  But Parnassus
>     is merely a collection of links, not an archive, and it
>     doesn't have any facilities (AFAIK) for automatic installation.

CPAN is IME, highly overrated.

> 
>  -- Several extensions I have wanted to install have required access
>     to the full Python source tree, not just the header files and
>     the library.  Is that going to change?  Otherwise, how can

I've had perl extensions like that. Ask the author of the particular
extension.

>     I install Python extensions that want access to the source
>     tree on, say, a standard RedHat system?  Having the standard
>     RPM-based installation in parallel with a /usr/local installation
>     from source is confusing, and removing the RPM-based installation
>     risks breaking things.

For the compiling modules: ./configure --prefix=/usr



-- 
Bill Anderson 			Linux/Unix Administrator, Security Analyst
ESBU (ARC)			bill_anderson at boi.hp.com
My opinions are just that; _my_ opinions.