Zen of Python “obvious way to do it” (was: [TSBOAPOOOWTDI]using names from modules)

[Ben Finney]

Steve D'Aprano <steve+python at pearwood.info> writes:

> On Sun, 5 Nov 2017 06:42 am, Stefan Ram wrote:
>
> > What is the one way to do it?
>
> There is no philosophy of "one way to do it" in Python, that is a
> misunderstanding (possibly deliberate...) spread about by Perl users,
> to contrast Python from Perl's "more than one way to do it".
>
> The Zen of Python says:
>
>     There should be one-- and preferably only one --obvious way to do it.
>
>
> The emphasis is on "obvious", not "one". There should be *at least*
> one, but preferably only one, OBVIOUS way to solve any problem.

I think the confusion is quite understandable, and that the Zen was
written quite consciously referencing the (at the time quite well-known)
Perl princple “There's more than one way to do it”.

Of course, “consciously referencing and contrasting with some well-known
meme” is very close to “deliberately inviting confusion from those who
don't examine the contrast closely enough”.

So, I have given up trying to assign *blame* for that confusion. But
from what I can tell it's a canard to say that the confusion is “spread
about by Perl users”. On the contrary, in my experience, the confusion
is also spread quite well by non-Perl-using, Python advocates.

Heck, as someoone who works to *dispel* that confusion, I still find it
difficult to place the emphasis correctly when rattling off that
admonishment from the Zen.

-- 
 \        “Perchance you who pronounce my sentence are in greater fear |
  `\   than I who receive it.” —Giordano Bruno, burned at the stake by |
_o__)  the Catholic church for the heresy of heliocentrism, 1600-02-16 |
Ben Finney