Typed Python?

[Ville Vainio]

>>>>> "Arthur" == Arthur  <ajsiegel at optonline.com> writes:

    Arthur> I don't think the academics you are referring to think
    Arthur> Scheme is easier to learn than Python, I'm thinking that
    Arthur> they might be thinking that neither is *easy*, and easy
    Arthur> isn't the point in any case.

Actually, the "real" attitude of the lecturers is often "now everyone
knows C (or C++, ot Java, or...) already, let's look at something
completely different". And apparently, the number of schools using
Scheme is constantly dropping - it has either been dropped already, or
the schools are considering dropping it. Usually replacing it for
Java, but they would do better to replace it with Python, of course.

    Arthur> It is precisely this promotion as "easy" as somehow
    Arthur> representing an ultimnate good, in the context of
    Arthur> education, that I find frustrating to hear repeated so
    Arthur> often here.

Perhaps. Perhaps you read it as "easy as in VB", while it actually
means "easy to learn, easy to do everything".

    Arthur> It seems to me that in many respects Python is a
    Arthur> programmer's programming language.  Isn't it safe to say
    Arthur> that most people who use Python, learned their
    Arthur> fundamentals elsewhere, and find Python as a productive
    Arthur> way of applying what they already know.

Quite probably, but that's more because of the current status of the
language as a "grassroots" language, where savvy programmers check it
out and start using it as opposed to many languages that are being
pushed by authorities (schools, conservative companies etc.).

    Arthur> It happens that *I* have learned Python and not learned
    Arthur> Scheme, or C.

    Arthur> Maybe precisely *because* it is messier than either.  ;)

Frankly, there is no real reason to learn Scheme. Common Lisp, OTOH,
has at least a theoretical possibility of being useful in the real
world (apparently Debian even provides some *gasp* libraries for
Common Lisp).

C itself is probably not too messy (awkward and clumsy, yes). Programs
written in C are.

-- 
Ville Vainio   http://tinyurl.com/2prnb