Python vs. C++ Builder - speed of development

[Brandon Van Every]

Dave Brueck wrote:
> On Tue, 4 Feb 2003, Brandon Van Every wrote:
>>>
>>> I suggest Qt.  It's pretty good from C++, even better from Python.
>>
>> The problem is, since I'm designing on a 25+ year timeline, I cannot
>> trust any small outside vendor with a proprietary solution.
>
> Either I am completely misunderstanding what you're saying, or your
> credibility here just went through the floor.

Why?  Because I have long-term design goals?  It's like this: I can rent a
movie from 25 years ago no problemo.  Even 50 years ago, or in some cases
100.  I cannot do that with games.  I'm not about to invest my life into
games as a form of Art, only to have their technological underpinnings
disappear out from under me.  Is that ambitious, far-reaching, a bit insane
compared to current societal norms?  Yes it is.  But my work is going to be
here 25 years from now, assuming I don't die before then.

> If Trolltech (maker of
> Qt) is a "small outside vendor", then what does that make *you*?

Irrelevant.  If you think Trolltech and Qt are impervious to the winds of
change, blown by titans such as Microsoft, then I'll be ROTFLMAO.

> According to your resume, you've had ONE job in your entire *career*,

Two.  Self-employment is a job.  And, as someone who's been doing these
things for 11 years now, I really don't care what you think about my
pedigree.

> and that at a company that is now defunct.

"Bought out" would be a more correct terminology.  DEC was bought by Compaq
because it had an extremely attractive balance sheet.  All sorts of good
technology, and it had just gotten a $billion + settlement from Intel.  I
was bored with what I was doing, and I saw that in the new corporate order
our group would become redundant.  So I left.

Incidentally, I thought our Commodity Graphics Group was part of what was
right with DEC, but of course there were plenty of things wrong with it.
The main one is it couldn't market its way out of a paper bag.  Totally
squandered its opportunities when the Alpha was the most powerful CPU in the
world.

> A twenty-five year timeline?!? Are you nuts? How can anything you're
> doing now even be *relevant* in 25 years?

Spoken like a shovel-and-ship-it engineer with no artistic vision
whatsoever.  Or even game design acumen.  Riddle me this: how long ago was
the board game Axis & Allies invented?  How about Monopoly?  Ok, you're not
into games.  Try film.  When's the last time you watched Star Wars "Episode
IV?"

> The processors, languages, and even the paradigms that will be in use
> in 25 years haven't even been dreamt up yet.

Nonsense.  Look at academia today, that's what will be common industrial
practice 25 years from now.  At least for areas of research that have a
sound pathway to marketability.  Some segments of research move slower than
this, for instance VR technology.

> Heck, what highly
> optimized software did even 5 years ago is now done in bargain 3D
> hardware.

Irrelevant.  Bitrot is the issue, not performance.

> Will *you* be around?

I will do everything in my power to be around.

--
Cheers,                         www.3DProgrammer.com
Brandon Van Every               Seattle, WA

20% of the world is real.
80% is gobbledygook we make up inside our own heads.