Python Productivity over C++

Frank V. Castellucci frankc at colconsulting.com
Fri Jun 9 07:04:17 EDT 2000


Steve Mullarkey wrote:
> 
> [snip]
> 

18 (C) and 10 (C++)

> In "C++" I have :-
> 
> 1. Good tools, Borland C++ Builder, MS VC++, Memory Leak Tools,
> Profilers, Programmers Editor including Class Browser, etc..
> 
> 2. I use the STL (Standard Template Library) which gives powerful string
> and container classes.
> 
> 3. I use incremental compiling and linking. This reduces wait times to
> very small amounts.
> 
> 4. I can also use background compiling and linking.
> 
> 5. I have 3rd party libraries to handle Regular Expressions, Date/Time,
> etc..
> 
> I don't want to start a flame war but, given the above, I just can't see
> where the productivity increase is generated. I am genuinely interested
> to ask "C++" programmers :-

Don't read that I am foresaking the C++ language, I'm not...I love it
and will continue with it for a long, long, time.

Both languages have a rich set of libraries. It is not apples to apples
when one language is compiled and linked, and the other is interpereted.
With Python you can skip the comp+linkedit step and just code and run
which equates to the potential for more work in less time. I find that
it saves more time than the equivalent task in Java as well.

I don't understand why people put background compiling and linking as
some kind of feature. The only time this has worked for me has been on a
pre-emptive multi-tasking OS (Linux, OS/2, NT, MVS) when what I was
compiling was a separate executable or library whilst I worked on
another body of code. At the speed of todays computers, you can barely
get to the other body of code before the other background compile and
linkedit have finished.

I shall enumerate some Python DIFFERENCES as it relates to the REAL
drudge of development:

0. Platform independent.

1. No waiting for compile and linkedit, just write and run.

2. No need for creating makefiles, just run.

3. Very RICH set of packages (libraries).

4. Idle provides a good source level debugger.
 
> 1. What productivity increase do you achieve ?

Again, if you are always doing something else during the housekeeping of
C++ than the difference is minimal. I rarely find this to be the case,
we are often sitting like cave men in front of a fire watching the
compilation for errors and warnings. So for me the productivity increase
is the gain from not waiting for compiles, not dealing with make files,
and faster debugging.
 
> 2. How long did you use Python before you achieved increased
> productivity ?

Generally, the class and object took about a day, the language features
are still being realized. At this point I have been putting together a
project for creating a package of GoF Design Patterns (Gamma et. al) and
Collections (STL-ish) in pure Python.
 
-- 
Frank V. Castellucci
http://corelinux.sourceforge.net
OOA/OOD/C++ Standards and Guidelines for Linux
http://PythPat.sourceforge.net
Pythons Pattern Package



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