Is Python really a scripting language?

[Neil Cerutti]

On 2007-12-13, Steven D'Aprano <steve at REMOVE-THIS-cybersource.com.au> wrote:
> I have repeatedly argued in the past that we do ourselves a
> disservice by describing Python as an interpreted language.
>
> Python is compiled. It has a compiler. It even has a built-in
> function "compile". It's just not compiled to *machine code* --
> but with even machine code often running on a virtual machine
> in the CPU(s), the distinction is far less important now than
> it was when Sun described Java as a compiled language despite
> the lack of JIT compilers.

When folks say Python is an interpreted language I think they
mean it informally--they just mean you have to run an interpreter
to execute it. *How* it's translated is irrelevent to the
*informal* meaning.

And I'd further argue that the informal meaning is the only one
that makes any sense.

Formally:

>>> hasattr(Language, 'iterpreted')
False

>>> hasattr(Implementation, 'interpreted')
True

;-)

-- 
Neil Cerutti