Using Python instead of...

[Harry George]

Several answers:

1. If you have to use some library available only in Java, then stick
   with Java (though you might look at Jython).

2. For our resumes, we all need some Java experience, but maybe you
   have that already.  We also need experience with lots of
   technologies (LDAP, Web server, encryption, regular expressions,
   parsing, XML, SQL, etc.)  For learning technologies, I find Python
   much faster than Java.  Those skills are then applicable across
   platforms and langauges.

3. Python is not yet massively mainstream, but it is definitely
   growing, and is recognized as a significant cross-platform tool.  I
   work in an environment which has MS-VB fans, platform-neutral-Java
   fans, and Unix-Perl fans.  Recently a co-worker (MS champion) and I
   (Linux/OSS champion) discovered we both consider Python a major
   productivity breakthrough in our worlds.  Anything that brings us
   together has to be good :-)

4. I wrote XML apps in Java for a year, then shifted to python.  Same
   functionality took roughly 1/2 the LOC in python as in java.  And
   far more maintainable.  

D-Man <dsh8290 at rit.edu> writes:

> If you are considering using Java, I think that Python would be better
> suited.  I have a fair amount of Java experience (rapidly increasing
> as I use Java in my present employment) and feel that python far
> exceeds Java in ability and ease of use.
> 
> Perhaps showing your boss the "Python in Industry" thread will help in
> altering his "mainstream" view?
> 
> -D
> 
> PS.  I have never used VB, but I have heard that it tends not to have
> good structure and doesn't have decent OO support.
> 
> 
> On Tue, Jan 16, 2001 at 06:28:39PM +0000, John Urberg wrote:
> | We are considering what language to use to rewrite our practice
> | management system.  It is currently a PowerBuilder client/server system.
> | Currently all that is in the running is VisualBasic and Java.  My boss
> | is concerned about using anything that is not "mainstream".  Any ideas
> | on ways to convince him to use Python?  Or is Python a bad idea for this
> | application?
> | 
> | Thanks,
> | John Urberg
> | 
> 

-- 
Harry George                E-mail:  harry.g.george at boeing.com
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