Python Productivity over C++

[Russell Wallace]

> stevemul at ozemail.com.au (Steve Mullarkey) wrote:
> 
> > I have read in several places productivity claims of 5 to 10 times over
> > 'C' and "C++". I would like to ask for some feedback from "C++"
> > programmers who have moved to Python as to whether these estimates are
> > realistic.

As someone who uses and likes both C++ and Python, I think estimates
like that are excessively simplistic.

I use C++ for commercial programming, because it gives me the power and
control I need.  Productivity isn't the best when measured in time to
get the first prototype running, but I've found nothing better when
measured in time to develop, deploy, maintain and support something a
customer will pay for.

I use Python for scripting/prototyping/AI research stuff.  (Used to use
Scheme for some of it, but never liked the syntax.)  I find it gives a
substantial productivity advantage over C++ - nowhere near an order of
magnitude, but enough to be well worth having - because it does a lot of
things for you, or at least makes them more convenient.

The-right-tool-for-the-job-ly yrs,

-- 
"To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem."
Russell Wallace
mailto:rwallace at esatclear.ie
http://www.esatclear.ie/~rwallace