What is different with Python ?

["Martin v. Löwis"]

Philippe C. Martin wrote:
> I apologize in advance for launching this post but I might get enlightment
> somehow (PS: I am _very_ agnostic ;-).
> 
> - 1) I do not consider my intelligence/education above average
> - 2) I am very pragmatic
> - 3) I usually move forward when I get the gut feeling I am correct
> - 4) Most likely because of 1), I usually do not manage to fully explain 3)
> when it comes true.
> - 5) I have developed for many years (>18) in many different environments,
> languages, and O/S's (including realtime kernels) .
> 
> 
> Yet for the first time I get (most) of my questions answered by a language I
> did not know 1 year ago.
> 
> As I do try to understand concepts when I'm able to, I wish to try and find
> out why Python seems different. 

Unfortunately, you didn't give many examples of what you did for the
last 18 years (except that that also included RT kernels).

So let me guess two aspects:

1. In these 18 years, you got acquainted to a variety of concepts
   in various languages. When dealing with Python, you could easily
   correlate between Python concepts and the ones you are familiar
   with. This is one of Python's strenghts: it tries not to be
   surprising, but builds on what most people consider standard.
   Try "import this" some time; you may be experiencing the Zen:

   Readability counts.
   ...
   Special cases aren't special enough to break the rules.
   Although practicality beats purity.
   ...
   In the face of ambiguity, refuse the temptation to guess.

2. You may not have dealt with a weakly-typed language before. If
   that is the case, your feeling of "something being different"
   most likely comes from that difference.

Regards,
Martin