Python advocacy

[Sheila King]

OK, I apologize for posting questions of this type, YET AGAIN, to this group.
But I don't really have the background to answer them (being only a newbie
Python programmer), so I'm hoping someone will help me out, here. (I searched
at Google Groups and Python.org, but don't feel like I'm finding the essence
of the answers...)

Basically: The sysadmin/tech at the company where I host my website is
thinking of *possibly* dipping his toes into Python. He is considering using
it for some upcoming projects, instead of Perl. (I've got an entire Python
Advocacy thread, which I started on their web board, here:
http://www.aota.net/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001567-1.html  )

Anyhow, the sysadmin is still skeptical, and asks the following questions:

------------------(begin quoted questions)------------------------------------
Python does have it's 'methods of programming' benefits over Perl, and a much
cleaner syntax...  I can write ugly-ugly perl code that does beautiful things
- and vice versa...

I have a couple questions about Python:
1) It's speed in relation to perl...  If figure this will be subjective to the
task at hand - but hopefully there is an average overall performance
increase/decrease...  I would assume lugging around the OOP methodologies will
impose overhead which would be pretty much unavoidable...

2) How does it stack up against Perl's regex capabilities, which I rely
__heavily__ on for massive processing duties...

3) How well does it perform auto-vivication of complex data structures: e.g.:
http://www.perl.com/pub/doc/manual/html/pod/perldsc.html
**yes, I know that perl's dereferencing syntax is for masochists, but once
mastered - the sadistic side shines through...   

I have some projects that might fit better into an object oriented way of
thinking - however I must be careful of time spent learning 'Yet Another
Programming Language' since deadlines could quickly slip...

I don't think anyone can argue that Perl is **extremely** powerful and runs
the full gamut of simple one-shot scripts - to system level capabilities via
syscall()/POSIX interface...

Thoughts on the above?
------------------(end quoted questions)------------------------------------



What should I tell him?


--
Sheila King
http://www.thinkspot.net/sheila/
http://www.k12groups.org/