Had Phyton suggested

[Paul Prescod]

Steve Horsley wrote:

> 
> 
> Python:
> edlin myprog.py
> python myprog
> 
> java:
> edlin myprog.java
> javac myprog.java
> jave myprog

So Python does two steps with one command and Java does not. Surely that 
is an argument in favour of Python!

> As for not encouraging bad habits, I thought not until I came across a 
> 34k python script where every variable was global and not one procedure 
> accepted any arguments or returned any values. I suspect that the only 
> chopping into procedures was to keep the text on the page. I now think 
> that a real beginner needs a better push in the right direction.

If the programmer doesn't understand why this kind of programming is 
bad, I expect that they will replicate it in Java with static variables 
and static functions. Even in Java it takes extra effort to pass 
parameters instead of referring to static variables.

But I think someone would have to do some usability testing to decide 
this for real.

  Paul Prescod