[Edu-sig] re: Does edu-sig extend to Jython

Patrick K. O'Brien pobrien@orbtech.com
Tue, 20 Aug 2002 20:48:23 -0500


[Arthur]
>
> I tried to make that clear, and think it goes to the bottom of why I feel
> confident that I am in the right place with Python for what I am trying
> to do.  To me "immediate mode" with dynamic typing versus compile cycle
> with static typing should be recognized as two very different
> experiences, with very different needs.  I guess I consider myself
> as to be trying to build an SUI - script users interface.  There are very
> specific and compelling (to me) reasons that I don't want to go too
> far toward either the GUI side, or  the API side.

I can definitely relate to this feeling, though I haven't spent much time
articulating it.

I consider the Python shell to be the primary interface (in terms of
importance) for the Python code I'm developing. Adding command-line, GUI or
Web interfaces is secondary. And I find that the process of making modules,
classes and functions useable in the interactive shell environment has a
fundamental impact on the resulting code. Conversely, there are Python
modules containing perfectly good code that aren't terribly useable in the
shell environment, but could be with some refactoring.

To me, the interactive Python shell is just as important and significant a
feature of Python as the clear, elegant syntax.

--
Patrick K. O'Brien
Orbtech
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