Queue module and Python Documentation Rant
Bart Nessux
bart_nessux at hotmail.com
Thu Jun 17 21:10:01 EDT 2004
Roger Binns wrote:
> There is a qsize() method clearly documented. What is wrong with
> that?
Where??? The documentation for the module named Queue says nothing at
all about this...
http://docs.python.org/lib/module-Queue.html
> The [Python] documentation is fine.
The docs are useless. One needs a Master's in CS just to read the module
index. In general, it's far too abstract. Many have no examples for
actual *usage* at all. Read the section about classes in the tutorial...
how long can you stay awake? It's so abstract and scholarly that it
boarders on being useless.
CS is applied math. However, Python does not think of itself as being
applied, but theoretical. This is good if you're a geek with a Ph.D, but
not if you're the average sys-admin attempting to solve an every-day
problem.
Python has a great syntax for beginners and advanced users alike. One
can do sequential, procedural and OO programming with it. Also, it can
be applied to most any problem on most any platform. However, the docs
are an exercise in futility. They remind me of the circumlocution that I
read about in law school... constantly talking around things instead of
about things.
This is good if everyone is on the same high-level of knowledge, but not
for a programming language (think applied approach to problem solving)
that has tremendous potential and is touted as user friendly for
non-programmers. No wonder so many people use Perl. As bad as Perl is,
it does not have a scholarly opinion of itself and is thus approachable
and usable.
Forgive me, I'm frustrated.
Bart
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