Matlab vs Python (was RE: Discussion: Introducing new operators for matrix computation)

[Huaiyu Zhu]

On Mon, 17 Jul 2000 12:27:31 -0600, Bjorn Pettersen <bjorn at roguewave.com> wrote:

>Perl, C++, Visual Basic, Java, and probably also Tcl are all more
>popular than Python. Are you suggesting we should add their special
>syntaxes/quirks just because a lot of people know them?

I think the argument based on userbase or specific domain were first invoked
by those who oppose adding the operators.  This just shows that such
arguments are unreliable, whether correct or not.

As to the claim that additional operators for linear algebra is somehow
comparable to the special syntaxes/quirks of various programming languages,
no real argument has been presented so far.  It's more like: If I don't care
and don't use such things, they must belong to a special domain and be
somehow comparable to some other things that I do know and dislike.

On the other hand, alternative arguments based on analysis of functionality,
overall design, history of evolution and possible future extension, etc,
would carry some real persuasive weight.

Huaiyu