Article of interest: Python pros/cons for the enterprise

[Jeff Schwab]

Bruno Desthuilliers wrote:
> Carl Banks a écrit :
>> On Feb 20, 8:58 am, Tim Chase <python.l... at tim.thechases.com> wrote:
>>>> You Used Python to Write WHAT?
>>>> http://www.cio.com/article/185350
>>> """
>>> Furthermore, the power and expressivity that Python offers means
>>> that it may require more skilled developers.
>>> [...down to the summary...]
>>> Python may not be an appropriate choice if you:
>>> [...]
>>> *  Rely on teams of less-experienced programmers. These
>>> developers may benefit from the wider availability of training
>>> for languages like Java and are less likely to make mistakes with
>>> a compile-time, type-checked language.
>>> """
>>>
> (snip)
>>
>> C++ is a compile-time, type-checked language, which means it is
>> totally safer for newbies than Python.  Yep, your big company is
>> totally safe with newbie C++ programmers.
>>
> 
> Mouarf ! Brillant demonstration, thanks Carl !-)
> 
> (and BTW, +1 QOTW)


NB:  This is not a troll.  (Please, nobody try to be cute with a "yes it 
is" reply.)

c.l.python seem to be about the most close-minded of any of the 
currently popular language-specific news groups.  It's just taken for 
granted that Perl and C++, two of my personal favorite things in this 
world, inherently favor ugly, buggy code.  That is the farthest thing 
from the truth as I see it.  You can (and plenty of people will) write 
terrible code in any language, including Python.

To use Python effectively, you have to know something about how it 
works, and the same is true of Perl and C++.  But a newbie who's 
learning from a decent source (avoid the "C++ for Morons" style books) 
is likely (I contend) to be writing semi-useful programs about as fast 
as with Python, and to be writing heavy-duty work-horse programs far sooner.

Perl is, and always has been, a language for getting your job done; when 
everything else failed, Perl and C++ got me through some of the toughest 
tasks of my life.  Translating file formats, automating system-level 
tasks...  And now that the C++ standard library is getting regular 
expressions, I can replace plenty of glued-together scripts with 
single-language, cohesive applications.

I like Python, and I think it's got a brilliant future ahead of it.  It 
is rapidly becoming the dynamic language of choice, especially for C++ 
projects.  I am glad that Python can be extended straightforwardly in 
any C-linkable language.  But this bashing of other powerful languages 
on the basis that they're hard to read and hard to use correctly is, 
frankly, nonsense.