Python advocacy in scientific computation

[Bil Kleb]

Magnus Lycka wrote:
> Dennis Lee Bieber wrote:
> 
>>     I did look at Ruby once... It looked to me like the worst aspects of
>> PERL grafted onto the worst parts of old Python.
> 
> Don't forget that there are portions of Smalltalk syntax
> (blocks) added in as well. I guess it could be seen as Perl-NG.

Actually, the Perl part was one of the last steps
in the Ruby recipe according to Matz:

  Ruby is a language designed in the following steps:

   * take a simple lisp language (like one prior to CL).
   * remove macros, s-expression.
   * add simple object system (much simpler than CLOS).
   * add blocks, inspired by higher order functions.
   * add methods found in Smalltalk.
   * add functionality found in Perl (in OO way).

  So, Ruby was a Lisp originally, in theory.
  Let's call it MatzLisp from now on. ;-)

--from http://ruby-talk.org/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/179642

Regards,
--
Bil
http://fun3d.larc.nasa.gov