which feature of python do you like most?

[Micah Elliott]

zelzel.zsu at gmail.com wrote:
> What do you use in your dairy work with python?

Cows hate snakes!

> which feature of python do you like most?

Various success stories:
http://pythonology.org/success

Eric Raymond:
http://pythonology.org/success&story=esr

Bruce Eckel:
http://www.artima.com/intv/aboutme.html
(and see follow-on conversations)

Wingware (nice list):
http://wingware.com/python/benefits

Kevin Altis' link collection:
http://altis.pycs.net/stories/2003/04/16/whatIsPythonAndWhyPython.html

If Python doesn't already maintain an official "list of benefits",
maybe it should.  Probably many in this group have a personal laundry
list.  Here's mine:

- Interactive interpreter for various testing of expressions before
  inserting into actual source code file.

- Built-in types have powerful default functionality.

- Portability via virtual machine. No need to build for multiple
  architectures/platforms.  And already installed on any platform
  worth caring about.

- Can write code at many levels of quality: robust (using classes,
  exceptions, data protection, etc.) or rapid (a script with no
  hierarchical constructs). Scales very well for large projects.

- No proprietary lock-in.

- Libraries such as optparse, logging, ply, etc. allow for reusable
  components in very few lines of code.

- Automatic memory management.

- Lack of static typing.

- Built-in documentation/help system.

- Adheres to UNIX philosophy.

- Intuitive process management.

- Robust/powerful regular expression engine.

- Syntax is very clean and readable/maintainable: executable
  pseudocode. Language is compact; can hold entire language in head:
  idioms and library routines. Only a couple books required to be
  completely up-to-speed on language.

- Strong integration with other languages (even though I don't use
  this... yet).

- Ease of introspection/meta-programming.

- Fast GUI building.

- Only one (sometimes two) way to do things right.

- Rapid creation of unit tests (pyunit, doctest, hybrid).

- Very simple exception handling (automatic propagation) makes usage
  more common, manageable.

- String-handling features better than other languages.

- Many fewer lines of code necessary to accomplish a task than with
  other languages.

- Very supportive and active community.

-- 
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|V|icah |- lliott  http://micah.elliott.name  mde at micah.elliott.name
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