Choosing Perl/Python for my particular niche

[Eric @ Zomething]

Roy Smith wrote:

> For most general purpose tasks, I reach for Python first.  But if I 
> needed to provide a quick scripting interface to an existing C library, 


I would suggest that one might take an option other than the either/or (Perl/Python/____).  It sounds like having at least some comfort with Perl is important to OP based on relevant code base.  However, Python is so simple to learn, at least at the beginner/intermediate level, that there is not much cost to learning some Python as well.

Personal experience: I struggled to becoming proficient with Perl due to its syntax and perhaps my lack of bottomless commitment (knowing Perl would not be my bread and butter).  Somehow I stumbled upon a little bit of Python and got sucked in.  Now I am probably more proficient at Perl than I was before I started using Python (except for needing to look up Perl syntax from time to time) because working with Python took my head out of the syntax and let my mind focus on the problem solving... and more importantly, the objective.

Python has me feeling like I can make a program to do _anything_ I want, even though I doubt it is any more capable than Perl, etc.  It's matter of clarity and better being able to see the forest, rather than a whole lot of trees.

This might sound like something less than a firm choice, but perhaps OP might decide to start digging into Perl in April, but allow one weekend in that month for Python and let things evolve as best suits his situation.


Eric Pederson

"maybe what be need to deal with all the useful Perl code out there is a Perl-to-Python translator that worked at least well enough to read the code easily as Python source (even if it might not run without exceptions).  What language would you write that in?"  :-)