Python becoming less Lisp-like

[Fernando]

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 18:23:05 GMT, Peter Seibel <peter at gigamonkeys.com>
wrote:

>Looks like the BDFL is planning to take lambda, reduce, filter, and
>map out of Python in the next big rev of Python (so called Python
>3000):
>
>  <http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=98196>

Basically, it says that it will get rid of the explicit map, filter
and reduce and substitute them by some syntactic sugar that uses them
implicitly. That's ok, and not a big deal.

It will also get rid of lambda, and it's not a great loss, since
python's version is so limited that it's almost useless. Besides,
given the syntactic sugar used to replace map, reduce and filter,
there's no real need for lambda in the most usual cases.

The real problem with Python is that it has been very successful as a
scripting language in the static-typing/C/C++ world. Those
programmers, instead of adapting their evil ways to Python, and
realizing the advantages of a dynamic language, are influencing
Python's design and forcing it into the static-typing mold. Python is
going the C++ way: piling feature upon feature, adding bells and
whistles while ignoring or damaging its core design. 

The new 'perlified' syntax for decorators, the new static type bonds
and the weird decision to kill lambda instead of fixing it are good
examples that show that Python is going the wrong way. What used to be
a cool language will soon be an interpreted C/C++ without any
redeeming value. A real pity...