Python vs. C/C++/Java: quantitative data ?

[Paul Rubin]

Ingo Linkweiler <i.linkweiler at gmx.de> writes:

> I’m writing a diploma paper on rapid prototyping and python at education.
> I am interested in your experiences with python, too, including the time you
> needed to learn python.
> 
> - Do YOU think, it is more easy to learn python than perl, java or C++  or
> ..... ?

Perl may be easiest to do some simple things, but gets horribly
complicated as you try to do harder things.  Python is easier than
java and java is easier than C++.

> - What do you think about the syntax of Python? Is it easy to use, or do you
> have any problems with it?

Mostly easy.  There's some surprises like z=[[0,0,0]]*3 giving you
what looks like a 3x3 matrix of zeros until you try changing an element.
I personally find it inconvenient that there's no conditional expressons
or assignment expressions, but that's a subject of endless debate here.

> - Is here anybody who learned Python as first language?
Not me :)

> - Where do you see disadvantages of Python?
Slow execution, spotty runtime library, cumbersome C API, lack of
good debugging environment in standard distribution.