Python versus VB

[Jeff Hinrichs]

"Frithiof Andreas Jensen" <frithiof.jensen at removethis.ted.ericsson.dk> wrote
in message news:bnr4p4$31e$1 at newstree.wise.edt.ericsson.se...
>
> "Simon Foster" <simon at uggs.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:3fa057e2.14061399 at news.dsl.pipex.com...
> >
>
>
> > with the strengths/weaknesses of VB).  This will be a
> > general-purpose text-processing type application with no
> > GUI required.
>
> No, Problem is the details:
>
> If the above is really all, then VB is a waste of time (*any* language and
> especially Python can do text processing)!
Try implementing some of the projects listed in Text Processing in Python
and you will see while you statement is technically true, it is also
misleading.  Ever try and write a simple editor in FORTRAN?

> If OTHOH the appliaction needs to integrate with MS-Office VB may be the
> simplest.
FUD - VB doesn't offer anything you can't get at with Python. In fact there
are no evil genies, pardon me, wizards, that make office automation easier
in VB than Python.  You're still stuck with a COM interface.

As someone who dropped VB 2+ years ago in favor of Python, you can take that
to the bank.  All standalone development in our company is done in Python.
If a "legacy" VB app needs new features we rewrite the whole thing, with the
new features in Python in the same amount of time it would have taken to
just add the feature with VB.  We do boatloads of integration,
interconnecting shipping manifest systems, accounting and CRM systems and
more, all of it fully orchestrated with Python.  We deal with multiple data
sources, web based api's, xml, MS-SQL, MySQL, Pervasive.  These apps are
easily maintainable because of their readability.  This is the single
biggest win in the whole deal;  Having to come back to code you've written a
year ago is a breeze with Python.