Why would I learn Python over other languages?

[Arthur]

On Thu, 8 Jul 2004 14:06:08 +0900, "Charif Lakchiri"
<charif at kuc.biglobe.ne.jp> wrote:

>Okay, here's what I know so far about Python:
>It's an object-oriented scripting language, supported on many platforms.
>
>Now here are my questions:
>It is easy to learn?

I, as always, will answer that question differently from most other
answers you will yet.

Depends how much previous programming experience you have.  It is
widely reported, and I have no reason to doubt, that people with a
good understanding of programming principles already in place, find
Python easy to learn.

It is widely reported, that Python also is easy to learn as a first
language.  Almost exclusively by people who learned their programming
principles elsewhere.  They are making a logical conclusion based on
their understanding of the languages strenghts - clean syntax,
readibility, etc. 

My position is that the issue is considerably more complex than that.

I can only go by my own experience. Especially when I have seem
nothing substantial contradicting it, other than verbiage.

It seems to me sensible to believe that someone can become a quite
decent, say C++ programmer, by tackling it as a first language, and
sticking with it.

I don't think that is true of Python. I think there is a layer of
Python that one cannot reasonably penetrate without stepping outside
of Python. 

One can get started with Python, with Python.

But in the end  I don't think Python serves as a fully adequate
introduction to itself.

Art

>Does it support GUI programming?
>Does it support server-side programming, say for web apps?
>Does it have extensions and libraries, say for DB connectivity, serial com 
>or network programming...?
>Can it be used for administrative tasks, say as perl...?
>Also, can it be compiled to native code?
>
>Also much appreciated would be simple comparisons with say JAVA (my other 
>candidate), and pointers to sites and docs where to start.
>
>Thank you in advance.