Why use Perl when we've got Python?!

[John W. Stevens]

> 
>      [courtesy cc of this posting mailed to cited author]
> 
> In comp.lang.perl.misc, 
>     "John W. Stevens" <jstevens at basho.fc.hp.com> writes:
> :Ok.  I'll take that challenge. . . create for me an unreadable
> :Python program that actually compiles and runs.
> 
> Ok, I just showed the paperboy some python programs, and he didn't 
> think were readable at all.

"ME".  The statement was: "ME".

Take that same paper boy, train him in Perl and Python at the same
time, and see which one he prefers.  Go on, I'll wait. ;-)

> Please face it: terms like "readable" and "intuitive" are completely
> subjective, and therefore purely opinion.

This is incorrect.  They are not subjective.  They can be measured.

"Intuitive", when meant as: "leveraging off of existing learning
and habits, combined with techniques that take into account human
perceptual patterns" is both quantifiable and quite objective.

Visual acuity is, in fact, built right in to the human eye/brain.
It's not even cultural.

Since Python enforces visually acute coding practices, in general
Python will be more readable (since, whether you admit it or not,
Perl'ers span the range from using no whitespace at all, to using
wildly different mixes of indentation styles).

John S.