newbie question

[Peter Hansen]

George Garnett wrote:
> 
> I'm not a python programmer, ...
> 
> Python has been re-written into jpython in which the language closely
> parallels the java language. The main difference is java enforces strong
> type casting (which is good), where jpython does not (its a gimmick to not
> scare off non professional programmers who don't want to take the time to
> verify every line of code is type casted correctly (this is the part where
> I'll get beat up on) ). 

Darn tootin'! :-)  If you weren't obviously trolling for 
some controversy on this one, I would have said your comments
on this subject are just plain idiotic.  Instead I'll just
call your straight-faced delivery refreshingly droll.

I'm not only a professional programmer, but I lead a team of 
sixteen professional *Python* programmers.  Let me assure you
that we do not consider the dynamic typing of Python (and here
you are also quite wrong: as has been discussed recently and
thoroughly here, Python is *strongly* but *dynamically* typed,
while Java is *strongly* but *statically* typed) to be a
gimmick, but in fact an extremely valuable feature for 
improving programmer productivity, the quality of the resulting
code, and programmer morale (all related to each other of course).
I also happen to know from reading this group for a while that
this feature was never designed as a mere "gimmick".

> numbered!). JPython is Python's attempt to hold onto all its python
> developers and will provide them with a transition path to java (this is the
> part where I'll get beat up on too) 

At least you know when you're going to get punished. :-)
Actually, I don't think I'm even going to bother with this
one, since it is so easily disproven.

> Both java/JSP and python require knowledge of html/javascript/java/
> jsp/xml/web design. 

A very interesting statement, but again entirely false.  I don't
even know where you got this one.  Just because many Python 
developers happen to use XML, or program for the web, or used
to use Java, that's no reason to state that Python *requires* 
knowledge of any of those things.  (I'll assume you just 
got tired of writing "Here I'll get beaten up again." ...)

-- 
----------------------
Peter Hansen, P.Eng.
peter at engcorp.com