Know of Substantial Apps Written in Python?

[Grant Griffin]

Dry Ice wrote:
> 
> > I'm not sure why the prejudice against using a language to drive C (or
> > C++ or Fortran) modules.  [...]
> 
> No prejudice implied.  Such a use is entirely reasonable.
> 
> I am evaluating, however, Python-as-development-language,
> not as glue for modules which offer the bulk of the
> functionality in a project.

In that case, rest assured that it is equally useful in that regard. 
However, since it is an intepreted (not compiled) language, I primarily
use it for "off-line" tasks--things where speed doesn't matter much.  A
typical such use is "text processing" (converting a text file from one
form to another form.)  For example, I have used Python to
analyze/summarize log files from the Iowegian web sites.

The essential trade in using Python is that you give up some run-time
speed to pick up development-time speed--and that's almost always a good
trade.  In any application where minimizing run-time speed isn't
important, Python's your man.

> For years many accused Visual Basic of being a "toy"
> language (like "real" coders only use C, dude) because
> to do FAST stuff one really had to link to something).
> 
> (Then the OO people called it a toy for other reasons.
> Now that it does lots of OO stuff, it's a toy because it's
> not cross-platform.  Truth is, I see some Visual Basic
> everywhere I look.  Particularly, with considerable
> amusement, when I'm accused of prejudice against
> RAD languages as glue.)

I'm not sure Visual Basic was ever a "toy" as evidenced by the fact that
I've seen professional-quality applications built using it.  However, my
own experience has been that as an application becomes more and more
complex, BASIC's syntax becomes increasingly tiresome and difficult to
work around.  At some point, it becomes more trouble than it's worth.

In comparision, Python's syntax only becomes more of a pleasure with
use.  It's like a comfortable shoe that fits your foot better each time
you wear it (yet never wears thin. <wink>)

a-day-without-Python-is-like-a-day-_with_-BASIC-<wink>-ly y'rs,

=g2
-- 
_____________________________________________________________________

Grant R. Griffin                                       g2 at dspguru.com
Publisher of dspGuru                           http://www.dspguru.com
Iowegian International Corporation            http://www.iowegian.com