Python noob SOS (any [former?] Perlheads out there?)

[kj]

For many months now I've been trying to learn Python, but I guess
I'm too old a dog trying to learn new tricks...  For better or
worse, I'm so used to Perl when it comes to scripting, that I'm
just having a very hard time getting a hang of "The Python Way."

It's not the Python syntax that I'm having problems with, but rather
with larger scale issues such as the structuring of packages,
techniques for code reuse, test suites, the structure of
distributions,...  Python and Perl seem to come from different
galaxies altogether...

Be that as it may, the activation barrier to using Python for my
scripting remains too high.

I'd written a Perl module to facilitate the writing of scripts.
It contained all my boilerplate code for parsing and validating
command-line options, generating of accessor functions for these
options, printing of the help message and of the full documentation,
testing, etc.

Of course, for Python now I don't have any of this, so I must write
it all from scratch, and the thing is *I don't even know where to
begin*!  And meanwhile works needs to get done, projects finished,
etc.  So naturally I revert to Perl, yadda-yadda-yadda, and the
Python project gets pushed back another week...

In a way it's the usual story with learning a new language, but
I've taught myself new languages before.  (After all, there was a
time when I didn't know Perl.)  It's harder this time, somehow...

Anyway, pardon the ramble.

Is there any good reading (to ease the transition) for Perl
programmers trying to learn Python?

Thanks!

kynn

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