What is Python?

[Cameron Laird]

In article <8pqhm9$6a9$1 at panix3.panix.com>, Aahz Maruch <aahz at panix.com> wrote:
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>about Perl, Python can do roughly anything that Perl can do.  Many
>people think that Python is easier to read than Perl, and therefore
>better suited for large programming projects.
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There are other arguments for Python's comparative superiority
for large programming projects:
1.  Python has a better OO model, and OO is a benefit
    in big work.
2.  A slight variation on what you wrote:  Perl's
    syntax is undeniably complex, and this adversely
    affects teamwork.  It seems unavoidable that some
    of the Perl code in a large team project will be
    opaque to some of the team members.  Python, in
    contrast, has a sufficiently coherent syntax that
    experienced coders can apprehend anything they
    run across, even if they didn't write it
    themselves.
3.  Python's module system is allegedly cleaner.
4.  Big projects inevitably pick up mixed-language
    objects.  Only magicians interface Perl to foreign
    languages (like C).  Python, in contrast, is easy
    to extend.

I summarize:  Perl is a fine language for implementing many large-
scale projects.  Aahz correctly reported that Python is generally
regarded as superior to Perl in this regard, and gave one example
of its advantage.  That's not Python's only advantage, though.
-- 

Cameron Laird <claird at NeoSoft.com>
Business:  http://www.Phaseit.net
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