Python is the best and most popular general purpose scripting language; the universal scripting language

[Ron Stephens]

Python is the best and most popular general purpose scripting
language. That is, Python is the best and most popular general
purpose, dynamic, interpreted language. Sure, there are other
scripting languages that are more popular for specific application
domains, and there are big company backed systems languages that are
far more popular; but in its niche, Python is tops.

Being open source, and not backed by big companies' marketing dollars,
Python is not even in the same league as Java, and the .NET languages
C# and VB.Net. Those corporate backed entities have incredibly
powerful tools, IDE's and marketing dollars behind them.

And, among scripting languages PHP is tops for server side web
scripting, Perl is number one for text parsing and CGI, Ruby is
perhaps most popular with object oriented purists who don't mind the
Perl-like syntax, and Javascript is most popular for client side web
scripting, given its nearly universal support by web browsers. But for
general purpose scripting, Python is clearly number one and gaining in
strength.

That positions Python as the universal scripting language. Not only
does the Python virtual machine run on almost every platform, but
Jython is available for the JVM and IronPython is in the works for
.Net and Mono.

Let's face it, we could sit around and bemoan the fact that the big
commercial "systems" languages have such incredible tool support and
marketing muscle, such as the .Net juggernaut and the IBM, SUN, BEA
and other IDE's for Java.

But, better to take heart that for the pure writing of code, Python
has the opportunity to become the universal solvent. It just may be
that, twenty years from now, Python code will run everywhere, and will
be the scripting language of choice on all the big company IDE's as
well.

There may by then be a lot of application areas where subject
specialists create their own database front end's and customize real
applications, by using big company tools that require no code to be
written at all. But, computers will always need actual code, and
Python can be the lingua franca.

And on top of all that, while .NET, Eclipse, JBuilder etc. may
outclass any one Python tool, we do have a plethora of good choices
for almost any job requirement, including good access to about every
important GUI toolkit imaginable, and we even have easy point and
click GUI builders like PythonCard and the on-coming industrial
strength Boa Constructor.

So, Python is well on its way to world domination, just not in the
same manner as Java or C#. Python is more like an underground movement
that sneaks in around the edges and winds up playing a most
significant role for the long run.

Long live Python, the universal solvent!

Ron Stephens
www.awaretek.com/weblog/index.html