Considering getting into Python... Any Pros-Cons?

[Jeff Davis]

Python covers a lot of ground. Since almost any language can be used for 
almost anything, I will qualify that statement: python covers the same 
ground as VB, except python will cover that ground much better (in my 
opinion).

The primary reason you would not use python is if the application you were 
writing relies on excellent performance for many basic operations (for 
example, you would not write an operating system). Another reason might be 
that there is a more specific language for your particular task (i.e. the 
unix shell language is better suited for an interactive shell).

The largest application that comes to mind is zope (zope.org). It is an 
entire application server. Larger applications can be written without a 
problem. I have also written many applications meant to be run only one 
time to solve one task once, that were only a few lines.

I really recommend python. I have used VBScript, php, perl, c, c++ among 
others and I think python has a great language design.

Jeff Davis

Cliff Pruitt wrote:

> Hello, I've just started looking into Python and am considering delving
> into
> it a bit.  My main reason is that it seems to be pretty portable across
> platforms.  I work on a Mac for the most part but I do work on windows
> machines durring the day and it would be fun (I think) to develop for
> both. So far I've downloaded the Python files and flipped through a
> little bit of
> the documentation but haven't gone into much detail with it.  I'm
> wondering if anyone could sort of give me a good idea of what Python is
> really capable
> of and maybe more importantly what it's NOT capable of.  The extent of my
> programming experience involves VBScript for the web.  If i had, say, a
> microsoft access Database, is python capable of displaying records and
> doing
> searches on that database?  Maybe more importantly is it capable of
> adding
> records?  Out of curiousity, what are the nicest or most complex
> applications you've seen done in Python?  A lot of what I've read referrs
> to Python as being useful as "glue" to hol dother languages like C++ and
> others
> together.  I dont know any of those so I'm wondering if Puthon will
> really be somethign useful to learn or not.
> 
> Your insight is greatly appreciated.
> Thanks.
> 
> --
> C. Pruitt
> mail at cliffpruitt.com
> http://www.cliffpruitt.com