What is Python?!

[Reinhold Birkenfeld]

Evil Bastard wrote:
> bruno modulix wrote:
>> You can tell buy the most common use. bash is a scripting language,
>> javascript is a scripting language, perl is a scripting language, php is
>> a scripting language, Python is *not* a scripting language !-)
> 
> Perhaps a better definition - the term 'scripting language' is
> increasingly being used by CTOs as a justification for saving money by
> putting large chunks of their workforces on lower pay scales - an
> attitude of 'scripters aren't as skilled as real programmers, so don't
> deserve the same pay'.
> 
> To me, the term is archic. What 'scripting language' means to me is:
>  1. insufficient facilities for general purpose or 'serious' programming
>  2. ability to get simple useful programs up and working quickly
>  3. absence of a hack/compile/link/test cycle.

My view too.

> What makes 1 and 3 redundant is that linkage mechanisms have diversified
> over the years. For instance, java and python's 'import' statements,
> java's CLASSPATH and python's 'sys.path'.
> 
> I guess a language could be called a 'scripting language' if:
>  - the source code can be executed directly, and/or
>  - source need not be converted to a separate file in a
>    non-human-readable format before it can be executed, and/or
>  - a change to the source file automatically causes a change in
>    runtime behaviour
> 
> By these, Python is most definitely a scripting language, and joins Perl
> and PHP. Whereas changes to java source files don't change runtime
> behaviour.

Though they prefer to be called "agile languages" nowadays.

Reinhold