PYTHON IS CRAP

[François Pinard]

[Vadim Chugunov]

> "François Pinard" <pinard at iro.umontreal.ca> wrote in message

> > This is why I consider so important to select and learn at least one
> > language well, than a lot of languages superficially.  Such investments
> > also explain why people make religions of languages, it is not easy to
> > take a few years of life, and work and sweat, and throw these overboard.

> I disagree with you here.  Those years will NOT be thrown overboard.

My feeling as well.  But I was trying to understand why some people are so
fanatic about the language they use.

_We_ are undoubtedly very enthusiast, but we are not fanatics, aren't we? :-)

> After four or five iterations you'll be able to write programs in about
> any language in a couple of days spent with syntax/library reference book.

Still agreed.  Yet, I still think that even for an experienced programmer,
and maybe even more for an experienced programmer, it takes much time
to establish a real proper style and the feeling that our programs are
genuine art.  Even more, we sometimes transport previous habits into new
languages, which are not always proper.  And even if we can quickly start
using a new language, it takes quite a good while before we are really
acquainted with libraries, overall culture, and intimate internals.

For example, I did a lot of C programming following GNU standards, and
have a natural tendency to apply those standards when I write Python code.
Some parts fit well, some are less welcome.  I noticed, in particular,
that Guido is quite objectful to GNU standards for Python, and I got to
decide where I prefer to follow Guido, and where Guido is just wrong :-).

On the other hand, breaking from previous standards is sometimes helpful,
even on minor things, when these minor things are ubiquitous.  This helps
building walls around a growing style, and later, a spinal chord.  A good
example, in my case, was whether to space after a function name (GNU) or
not (Guido).  This detail helps me to recover GNU standards when I write C,
and Guido style when writing Python, as a style "sticks" together.

Take Java for another example.  I'm sure I could start using it within
a week.  But what worth would this be?  The amount of libraries available
for Java is frighteningly overwhelming.  In no way, someone could ever say
within a week, or even within a month, that s/he got a serious overview of
what's available.  We should count this whole time as part of the learning
process, if we want to be serious about what we mean by "knowing" a language.

-- 
François Pinard   http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~pinard