The Industry choice

[Paul Rubin]

Bulba! <bulba at bulba.com> writes:
> OK, so what projects and why would you consider Python:
> 
> 1. "clearly unsuitable" 

An OS kernel, a high-performance signal processing application like a
video encoder, or maybe a compact embedded application for an 8-bit
microcontroller.  Note that you could do the microcontroller project
with JavaCard.  (Yeah, you could maybe write the outer shell of the
high-performance app in Python, but I mean the part doing the real work.)

> 2. "plausible but there are sound technical reasons to be wary"

A security-critical financial application.

> BTW, I don't think I agree with your statement elsewhere about unit
> tests - if you write a prototype (in any language), why bother with
> unit tests, and if you write security-critical app, maybe the tests
> should be written anyway (again, whatever is the language chosen for
> a project).

You should write unit tests either way, but in Python you're relying
on the tests to find stuff that the compiler finds for you with Java.

I'm also not too impressed with Python's bundled debugging features,
as compared with gcc/gdb.  People have said nice things about some of
the commercial Python environments but I haven't used those.