Python 2.0

[Paul Moore]

On Sat, 29 May 1999 14:00:58 GMT, Paul Prescod <paul at prescod.net>
wrote:

>"Michael P. Reilly" wrote:
>> Paul, you like Windows; we've all learned that.  But to state that UNIX
>> is behind simply because you believe that all apps should use one
>> functionality isn't going to make your point.
>
>If my point was "Windows is better" then you would be right. But it isn't
>my point and it isn't the truth. My point is that Windows is more
>functional *in this area*. Is it so hard to admit that there is something
>that Redmond could teach Berkley (or Finland)?

I've got to agree here, to a point.

I'm a Windows programmer because that's what I get paid for. I like
Unix - I've known Unix for far longer than I've known Windows, and I
generally prefer its philosophy over that of Windows. I hate buggy
Windows applications, and I hate under-documented closed source.

But Windows' use of COM/OLE/ActiveX *throughout* is a massive plus (in
concept - the implementation is, as usual, annoyingly buggy). Using
OLE, I can write "glue" scripts in any language I like (Perl, Python,
JavaScript, Visual Basic (God Forbid!), anything with an OLE
interface), to control almost anything (a partial list - E-Mail via
MAPI, Office applications like Excel or Word, XML via the IE5 DOM,
databases via ADO, the shell, ...) using an object-oriented model
(much more programmable than using pipes to send command scripts to
applications). It hides the difficulty involved in having proprietary
application data formats and interfaces, which is a bad thing, but
that problem existed before OLE, so we can't blame OLE for that.

Anyway, my point is that pervasive use of a technology like COM is a
big plus for Windows.

Unix would gain a lot if it took that lesson, and implemented it in
the way Unix does best (ie, implemented it *well*). Maybe CORBA is the
way to do this, and maybe not. But it needs to be done.

On a similar point, Unix's biggest downside is that having so much
choice at all levels (even the shell and window manager) tends to work
against implementation of a common infrastructure like this. A pity,
because the choice is my favourite thing in Unix...!

I repeat - I'm a Unix fan rather than a Windows. I just wish that Unix
users would not be so anti-Windows that they miss the (occasional)
good ideas.

We're well off-topic now, so I'll shut up.

Paul.