Why is python not written in C++ ?

Michael Torrie torriem at gmail.com
Mon Aug 2 18:06:00 EDT 2010


On 08/02/2010 03:42 PM, Mark Lawrence wrote:
> I can't understand why any serious programmer mentions C++. As soon as I 
> read it, I have to rush either to the kitchen to find a bowl to throw up 
> in, or head for the toilet so I can talk to the great white telephone.

Sometimes, C++ is just the right tool for the job, despite all its
warts.  For example, programming GTK apps with GTKmm in C++ is way more
pleasant than using C (but nowhere as pleasant as Python).  C++'s object
semantics (guaranteed destruction, scoping, etc) can sometimes work very
well when you need the speed of a compiled language, but don't want to
be quite as low-level as C.

In this case, C++ is certainly not a better tool for the job than C.
But plenty of serious programmers know how to leverage C++ and do so
quite successfully.  Just because C++ makes you ill in no way proves
that C++ is unfit for certain purposes.



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