Python vs. Perl, which is better to learn?

[Alex Martelli]

Patrick W wrote:
        ...
> I can't muster any enthusiasm *at all* for Java. But I _do_ like
> C#. For a good example of why, check out the source code for the GPL'd
> SharpDevelop IDE, and see how clean and comprehensible it is. It's
> hard to imagine a C++ version being half as comprehensible, or a Java
> version being anywhere near as fast.

I may be missing something, but C# strikes me as VERY close indeed
to Java -- I can't really understand (on a purely technical plane)
liking one and despising the other.  I don't see how C# per se should
have substantially better performance possibilites than Java, in
particular -- it will mostly depend on the MSIL vs JVM performance
comparison, of course, but for example once gcc 3's support for Java
ahead-of-time compilation to native matures, and assuming a similarly
native compiler for C#, why should any have intrinsic performance
pluses?  They're much of a muchness.  Should Generic Java finally get
into the mainstream, *that* might temporarily give Java as a language
an intrinsic performance plus -- only until C# catches up on genericity,
of course:-), since it may as well be bolted on one as the other.

I agree that there may be space between C and Python -- coding C
extensions and carefully debugging their increfs and decrefs until
they're OK often reminds me of that.  Java/C#, for all their defects,
MAY unfortunately hog that space -- but as I see it they're vying
for the _same_ niche.


Alex