Python Productivity over C++

[Christian Tanzer]

"Frank V. Castellucci" <frankc at colconsulting.com> wrote:

> > There are lots of reasons. The ones first springing to my mind are:
> > 
> > - The tools you mention notwithstanding, C++ still forces you to write
> >   lots of low-level code by hand (e.g., memory management, the
> >   `orthodox canonical class form').
> > 
> > - C++ doesn't offer any means of meta-programming. If you want to add
> >   some mechanism (like serialization, introspection, ...) to a class
> >   hierarchy, you'll have to add member functions to every class in the
> >   hierarchy. In Python you can implement the complete mechanism in the
> >   root class of the hierarchy.
> 
> This is crap:
> 
> 1. There are gc, SmartPointer, heap management, etc. class libraries out
> there. 

Guess what. Something like SmartPointer was one of the first classes I
implemented. In C++, that doesn't relieve you of thinking about memory
management, though.
 
> 2. There is the type information in standard conforming compilers.

Nowadays, there is. 

<rant>
If you happen to use a standard conforming compiler. In 1997, there
were still several compilers that didn't even fully conform to the
1990 edition of Stroustrup und Ellis's `The Annotated C++ Reference
Manual'. 
</rant>

RTTI doesn't offer any mechanisms remotely approaching Python features
like `__getattr__'/`__setattr__' though. Not to speak of `eval' and
`exec'. 
 
> 3. There is, has been, and will be more, C++ class Class libraries which
> are powerful, easy to use, and free. I was using NIHs Class class about
> 5 years ago.

So what? Your pains start as soon as you want to combine libraries
from different sources which happen to use incompatible idioms (like
overloading global operators, ...).

> Define 'orthodox canonical class form'

J.O. Coplien's `Advanced C++ Programming' will tell you all about it.

> > [snip]
> 
> People, we should all be realistic. I have seen so many language
> assertions that are unfounded or un-reasearched that the credibility of
> the author goes in the toilet with my urine.

I've used C++ and Python for projects of comparable size/complexity
and based my statements on that experience.

That's not scientific research, and of course it depends on my style
of using the two languages.

Your experience might be different.

-- 
Christian Tanzer                                         tanzer at swing.co.at
Glasauergasse 32                                       Tel: +43 1 876 62 36
A-1130 Vienna, Austria                                 Fax: +43 1 877 66 92