Is this a good time to start learning python?

[Reedick, Andrew]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: python-list-bounces+jr9445=att.com at python.org [mailto:python-
> list-bounces+jr9445=att.com at python.org] On Behalf Of Ant
> Sent: Monday, March 31, 2008 5:58 PM
> To: python-list at python.org
> Subject: Re: Is this a good time to start learning python?
> 
> On Mar 31, 5:40 pm, Rui Maciel <rui.mac... at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> BTW. I have to disagree with Andrew's comment: "With Perl,
> once you get the core syntax down, you don't need to master Perl.
> Instead you just look up the module/feature you want to use and just
> use
> it.". This may be true for knocking up Perl scripts, but for reading
> *other peoples* code in any language you need to have a good mastery
> of the core language. In Perl this is a quagmire of strange syntax,
> special cases, multiple ways to do the same thing and esoterica/magic,
> whereas Python's design to make whitespace significant and its "One
> (obvious) way to do things" philosophy makes reading other peoples
> code much easier. (Of course other peoples code always sucks, but
> hey ;-)


Eh... reading other people's Python code can be pretty hit or miss too.
Between undeclared variables (did you mean to reuse that variable name?)
and dynamic typing, Python can be really tough to follow.  Add in side
effects, over-use of lambdas, and the really hit or miss quality of
Python's documentation, and Python can be just as difficult to follow as
Perl.

The things that make code readable are good comments, good design
(Python emphasizes OO which helps,) and well-structured code (i.e. don't
combine 3-4 operations in a single line.)  This holds true for any
language, so I wouldn't go out of my to ding Perl.  IME.


> its "One (obvious) way to do things" philosophy

Given some of the solutions people have proposed to code questions in
the past, I'm going to pretend you didn't say that.  ;-)