Case insensitivity

[Chris Gonnerman]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Quinn Dunkan" <quinn at regurgitate.ugcs.caltech.edu>


> Given that changing the language itself at this point is too late (and I
think
> it is), the question is "for newcomers, does the additional complexity
added
> by a layer of indirection in the tools cancel out the benefit of case
> insensitivity?"  Obviously, that's assuming there is a benefit and it's
> significant (and just how significant is what no one agrees on).  But if I
> were I newbie, I wouldn't like to hear "these are just training wheels,
the
> real language has slightly different rules".  Don't underestimate the
newbie
> appeal of "what you see is all there is" (not that it ever is in python,
given
> magic methods etc., but we shouldn't make it worse).

I second this motion!

> An editor that optionally gives warnings about names with only case
> differences seems pretty innoccuous, though.  Giving people a friendly
editor
> is in the same spirit of avoiding "ok, well, to learn python first you
need to
> learn the unix shell, to be able to manage your source files and run vi,
oh
> yes, then you need to learn to use vi, just memorize this table of
commands,
> ok, then..."

I second this also!  Though I am a VIM-fan myself I would never try
to teach it to a greenhorn.

> So I'd say, please don't change the language itself, but it would be
> interesting to see experiments on a friendly python-oriented editing
> environment (to simplify things like finding modules and documentation,
> importing, reloading, etc.).

Guido, isn't this the sort of environment you mentioned in your
back-to-the-future-type-article in Linux Journal?  A programming
environment built around Python but optimized for the novice
programmer?

You seem to want to change the core of the language every other day.
I've been there myself, on other projects... everything works correctly
and is almost perfect, but being a programmer you want to change
SOMETHING just to be fiddling with it.  "Almost perfect" is about the
best anyone in the Real World can hope for.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... thanks with all my heart
for the best programming language I've ever worked in.