python gripes survey

[Ryan Lowe]

"Geoff Howland" <ghowland at lupineNO.SPAMgames.com> wrote in message
news:7s6gkv031b940dsc522pbh5g30q4nj5vd1 at 4ax.com...
> On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 15:39:27 GMT, "Ryan Lowe" <ryanlowe0 at msn.com>
> wrote:
>
> Just to point some things out since I started the {} [] thread.  I was
> trying to do something hacky, and while I wanted the [].len() type
> calls for my team mates, I never had a problem with the current len()
> and understand the reasoning behind it.  [].len() is more uniform, but
> it also changes the requirements for the language in a duplicated
> fashion, since the test for __len__() will always exist as well.

i was actually more impressed with the union/intersection of lists and
dictionaries. why the hell cant you join two dictionaries like you can two
list? the len thing is a pretty minor issue in my mind.

> So while I think they may have been reasonable requests, Im not sure
> theyre really pitfalls, and Im not sure they would even work out that
> well on a large scale which is why I wanted to implement it and test
> it out myself.

i guess my request was a little vague. im actually more interested in
missing funtionality of the python language, as opposed to pitfalls, warts,
minor syntax issues. to put it another way, why should anyone want to use a
general language other than python (ignoring speed and not including
languages designed for a specific/limited domain)? what types of things are
just plain easier to achieve in smalltalk, perl, icon, lisp, ruby, etc?
there must be plenty of ideas that people have had, but havent bothered to
write a PEP for or couldnt even begin to find a way to integrate them into
python.