(slightly OT): Python and linux - very cool

[Ville Vainio]

Donovan Rebbechi <elflord at panix.com> wrote in message news:<slrnaksdai.650.elflord at panix2.panix.com>...

> One thing I like about Python is that it supports useful functional programming
> constructs: lambda functions, map, reduce, etc. 

Yes, I was thinking of "real" functional programming, with lazy
evaluation and the works.

> This is very useful for some things -- for example, the new programmer really
> shouldn't have to fight with a compiler. Likewise, people who use programming
> languages as tools, rather than tools to develop tools will probably want 
> something like this.

By grunt work, I didn't just refer to compilers. A lot of C++
programming is what I call grunt work (doing mundane things like
declaring variables (with 50-column declarations + few typedefs),
managing memory, tracking the code in debugger, using horrible syntax
to access complicated data-structures, syncing headers with
implementations... the list goes on and on). The same applies to Java,
even if to lesser extent.

> On the other hand, serious infrastructure development tends to require 
> scalable statically typed programming tools, such as C,C++, Eiffel, and Java.

I would ask 'why', but I don't feel like getting sucked into a
flamewar on this (again) - partly because my bus is leaving in 5
minutes ;-). My interest is mostly in custom software for corporate
use, not shrink-wrap apps for end-users (which no doubt benefit from
speed of C/C++).

-- Ville