the python name

[Avi Gross]

Ok, this gives me a chance to say something actually python related.

Why did I mention Anaconda? Because python is also the name of a snake and
some people considered it appropriate to name their pet project that
includes python, as the name of another snake:

https://www.anaconda.com/

For people with my interests, this distribution of python is bundled with
other optional components with some focus, as I see Chris mentioned, on Data
Science users. I like having lots of tools available and included are many
modules I would otherwise download as much of my interest is in science and
statistical tools and especially on machine learning. Also thrown in is the
R environment which I have been using for years as these seem to be the two
major languages used by many, often both together. 

I am not here to evangelize but there are some other nifty tools and in
particular, the Jupiter notebook allows my style of interactive programming
that I was used to doing in ways through functionality in R Studio. Every
language generally needs a purpose and python was designed to do many things
well but initially was not equipped with data structures and methods that
were designed early into R. Over the years, I have seen much convergence as
python added the modules like numpy and pandas and sklearn and so on that
allow much simpler manipulation than creating lists of lists of lists to
hold data. R has added much, including way too many different ways to do
object-oriented. I want to be able to do some of both using their strengths
including both at the same time. Python has modules like rpy2 that allow a
slaved R interpreter to work with programs back and forth. R has a package
called reticulate that allows a different way to intersperse code using
anaconda python. And, there are other ways where a third party such as a
markdown processor allows both in chunks. No need to say more as it is of
little interest to many.

So back to the silly topic about names, just briefly. I am sure there are
many other puns of sorts used in naming conventions among python users.
There are seemingly endless uses of phrases from the Month Python comedies
such as "shrubbery" and clearly also snake analogies. Chris one-upped me
with an excellent riposte on some others making a bit of a joke about snakes
shedding skin. Not clear on what python would shed when being replaced by
C++ but I can live with that. As I see it, python is a very sophisticated
backbone with lots of flexibility that you may need to graft arms and legs
to if you want to rise above the ground level.

[[Please forget I said that, whatever it means.]]

-----Original Message-----
From: Python-list <python-list-bounces+avigross=verizon.net at python.org> On
Behalf Of Grant Edwards
Sent: Thursday, January 3, 2019 3:29 PM
To: python-list at python.org
Subject: Re: the python name

On 2019-01-03, Gene Heskett <gheskett at shentel.net> wrote:

> Do I miss-remember that there was an anaconda language at sometime in 
> the past? Not long after python made its debute? I've not see it 
> mentioned in a decade so maybe its died?

About 20 years ago, the RedHat Linux (way before RHEL) installer (which was
written in Python) was called Anaconda.

-- 
Grant Edwards               grant.b.edwards        Yow! What UNIVERSE is
this,
                                  at               please??
                              gmail.com            

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