[EuroPython] What the heck does "pythonic" mean?

[Dario Lopez-Kästen]

Martijn Faassen wrote:
> 
> Others already pointed you to 'import this'.

I think I am very thickheaded - I don't get the 'import this' thing. 
sorry :-)

> "Pythonic" is vague, but not necessarily that much more vague than words 
> like "intelligence" or "life", which, when you try to actually define 
> them, tend to be slippery.
> 
> Over time, a lot of idioms and ideas arose in the Python community about 
> what the right way to use Python is, and also what would be a wrong way. 
> Idioms frequently cannot be ported straight from another language, as 
> they look odd or cumbersome. Frameworks should also not get in the way 
> of writing Python code.
> 

So, I re-read Magnus' mail and looked again at the links he offered. 
After reading your mail I think I understand what "pythonic" is and why 
I had a hard time understanding the term from the begining.

I believe, if I understand you correctly, that something is Pythonic 
when it has a sense of quality, simplicity, clarity and elegance about it.

This is of course not only limited to python, but I get the point that 
i.e. Zope does not always fit the shoe, at least not from some perspectives.

I guess this is true of all things; in fact I know it is - "pythonicity" 
is a pattern or sorts, or an attitude perhaps, and I guess we all use it 
and judge things by it in one way or another.

Wether or not you view something as being pythonic or not will, like 
Martinj in a way suggested, depend on the particular point of view you 
have or take.

Thanks Magnus and Martinj.

Sincerely,

/dario

-- 
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Dario Lopez-Kästen, IT Systems & Services Chalmers University of Tech.
"...and click? damn, I need to kill -9 Word again..." - b using macosx