What makes Python Python (was: OO in Python (was Re: Migrating to perl?))

[Alex Martelli]

"Joel Ricker" <joejava at dragonat.net> wrote in message
news:m6G56.2070$4Z.109716 at news2.atl...
>
> Alex Martelli wrote in message <936qce0p55 at news1.newsguy.com>...
>
> >The really strange thing is, the various parts meld into a
> >whole that is greater than the sum of the parts!  If I
> >"designed" a language by cherry-picking thinks I liked from
> >others, the result would be sure to be an unholy mess.
>
> Not necessarily.  Its how we've come to have Python, or Perl, or a number
of

If _I_ 'designed' it that way, then, trust me, it _would_ be
an unholy mess (and it seems to me that about 50% of the
specific languages you list could be similarly described, but
I'm not going to say WHICH 50% so nobody can accuse me
of 'unprovoked' P*** bashing!-).  Which is what makes the
strong self-consistency of Python notable (clearly, I think, it
_wasn't_ JUST 'cherry-picking', despite many aspects having
their parallels in other languages, some because of direct
inspiration, some because of common roots, and others yet
for independently developed similar solutions to similar issues).


Alex