Dijkstra on Python

[Donn Cave]

Quoth "James J. Besemer" <jb at cascade-sys.com>:
...
| (a) As Carl explained, the "one way" motto is fundamentally just a "cute
| saying."
|
| (b) I and others showed examples how in cases where when the underlying
| philosophy is applied, it's applied inconsistently and capriciously.
|
| (c) Nobody thus far presented a single example where there's only "one way"
| to do something or where it provides any tangible, practical benefit.

I haven't been following this "discussion" - I mean, I've read the
posts, but the leaps from topic to topic have lost me.  When it comes
to development in the core language and usability, you're onto something
that I think is a genuine issue, but it doesn't help to tie it to the
"one way to do it" slogan and make that a culprit.  That's ridiculous.
I think there has been some practical thinking about a healthy direction
on that issue.  If your firm has a significant stake in Python's
development you ought to see if they could get with the Python business
forum, because they're reported to be putting their money where your
mouth is.

It's a cute saying, that's fine with me.  Do you know where the name
Python came from?  There's another popular programming language where
people maintain that the baroque variety of equivalent ways to do things
makes the language "more expressive."  Python rejects that notion, it
doesn't aspire to variety for the sake of variety.  Hence the slogan.

It isn't consistently applied, can't practically be.  Alas, it's just
a slogan.  The words don't have the magic power to strike down infidels,
so you don't really have to sweat it.

	Donn Cave, donn at u.washington.edu