[Tutor] question

Pijus Virketis virketis@fas.harvard.edu
Thu, 29 Nov 2001 16:11:37 -0500 

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Jimmy, 

My first language was Python (well, Pascal really, but that got me nowhere: )
and since then I picked up Perl, PHP and VB. I used the latter alot at work
this summer. My personal opinion (and this is a crucial caveat, because
some of
the most spectacular flame wars I've seen on the web have been on language
choice) is that Python is vastly superior to VB as a learning paradigm. Python
is at the same time more general in terms of what it can do and what platforms
it runs on, and syntactically much more regular. Now, far be it from me to
suggest that VB is not useful sometimes. As you noted, if you want to put
something small together fast in Windows, VB drop-in "wizards" will do it.
It's
tightly integrated with the Windows Office package as well, so it makes sense
to write programs that interface between, say Word and Outlook, in VB.
However,
once you try writing something more significant on VB, you'll find that you
either have to be extremely meticulous about your code, or it will just be a
nightmare in terms of maintaining and debugging, because it relies on very
suspect innards of Windows. It's low initial learning curve, which you are now
enjoying, becomes a handicap in terms of power later on. So, as a non-CS
person
who also started with scripted languages, I would suggest you stick with
Python. Did you expect something else on this list? :)

-P

At 11:45 AM 11/29/2001 -0800, you wrote: 

>
> I just wanted to ask you guys a question, I recently tried out Visual Basic
> 6.0 at a friends house, and I was amazed at how easy things are to do with
> the making of the GUI interface to programs, but I wonder if that
language is
> even worth it to learn or what, I am still what I would like to think a
> beginer at programming and I thought I couldnt really do anything until I
> started visual basic, would I be better off learning visual basic good and
> then coming back to python when I understand the programming concepts
better,
> or should I stick it out with python? Also this may a dumb question but I
> have tried to read the docs on how to compile with python but I think I am
> retarded or something because I cant figure it out, could someone help me I
> would appreciate it
>
> thanks jimmy
>
>
> "I would kill everyone in this room
> for a drop of sweet beer."
> ----Homer Simpson----
>
>
>
> Do You Yahoo!?
> <http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1>Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web
> site hosting, just $8.95/month. 



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<html>
Jimmy, <br>
<br>
My first language was Python (well, Pascal really, but that got me
nowhere: ) and since then I picked up Perl, PHP and VB. I used the latter
alot at work this summer. My personal opinion (and this is a crucial
caveat, because some of the most spectacular flame wars I've seen on the
web have been on language choice) is that Python is vastly superior to VB
as a learning paradigm. Python is at the same time more general in terms
of what it can do and what platforms it runs on, and syntactically much
more regular. Now, far be it from me to suggest that VB is not useful
sometimes. As you noted, if you want to put something small together fast
in Windows, VB drop-in &quot;wizards&quot; will do it. It's tightly
integrated with the Windows Office package as well, so it makes sense to
write programs that interface between, say Word and Outlook, in VB.
However, once you try writing something more significant on VB, you'll
find that you either have to be extremely meticulous about your code, or
it will just be a nightmare in terms of maintaining and debugging,
because it relies on very suspect innards of Windows. It's low initial
learning curve, which you are now enjoying, becomes a handicap in terms
of power later on. So, as a non-CS person who also started with scripted
languages, I would suggest you stick with Python. Did you expect
something else on this list? :)<br>
<br>
-P<br>
<br>
At 11:45 AM 11/29/2001 -0800, you wrote: <br>
<br>
<blockquote type=3Dcite cite>I just wanted to ask you guys a question, I
recently tried out Visual Basic 6.0 at a friends house, and I was amazed
at how easy things are to do with the making of the GUI interface to
programs, but I wonder if that language is even worth it to learn or
what, I am still what I would like to think a beginer at programming and
I thought I couldnt really do anything until I started visual basic,
would I be better off learning visual basic good and then coming back to
python when I understand the programming concepts better, or should I
stick it out with python? Also this may a dumb question but I have tried
to read the docs on how to compile with python but I think I am retarded
or something because I cant figure it out, could someone help me I would
appreciate it<br>
<br>
thanks jimmy<br>
<br>
<br>
&quot;I would kill everyone in this room<br>
for a drop of sweet beer.&quot;<br>
----Homer Simpson----<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>Do You Yahoo!?</b><br>
</b><a href=3D"http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1">Yahoo! GeoCities</a> -
quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. </blockquote><br>
<br>
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<a href=3D"http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~virketis/links"=
 EUDORA=3DAUTOURL>www.fas.harvard.edu/~virketis/links</a></div>
<div>My weblog:
<a href=3D"http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~virketis"=
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</html>

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