scripting language newbie - compatibility

[Cameron Laird]

In article <8mp9oo02uc2 at news2.newsguy.com>,
Alex Martelli <alex at magenta.com> wrote:
>"Cameron Laird" <claird at starbase.neosoft.com> wrote in message
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>> An example is currently under discussion in comp.lang.tcl.
>>   $file close
>> resists significant byte compilation, because $file might
>> be *anything*--this command could, with little strain, have
>> the effect of printing the word, "close", to the screen.
>
>Sorry, but I don't catch the big difference wrt
>    thefile.close()
>which could just as easily print the word to the screen...?
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Moshe correctly called me on this one, too.

First, I apologize for the delay.  We live in exciting times.

I continue to regard Tcl as more dynamic than Python in the
sense that it has natural constructs that are more resistant
to byte-code compilation.  I must recommend this as a purely
personal view, though; I'm unwilling at this point to construct
a useful example, so I'll concede that, as a practical matter,
impartial observers should believe them indistinguishable. 
There is either no big difference, or it's one beyond my
current ability to explain.

Thanks, by the way, for your yeoman work in c.l.p.  I learn a
lot from you.
-- 

Cameron Laird <claird at NeoSoft.com>
Business:  http://www.Phaseit.net
Personal:  http://starbase.neosoft.com/~claird/home.html