[Tutor] What style do you call Python programming?

[Steven D'Aprano]

Cranky Frankie wrote:
> I appreciate all the comments in this thread so far, but what I'm
> really looking for is what to call the style of programming where you
> have no direct branching via line numbers, statement names, and gotos.

Structured programming.


> I'm finding that lacking these things that I've been familiar with in
> other languages is good, in that it forces you to really think through
> the best way to organize the logic.

I'm curious what other languages you're familiar with that have GOTOs.


> It seems to me that this is such a big departure from traditional
> procedural styled programming there ought to be a name for it, other
> than structured programming, since you can code that way even with
> line numbers, etc.

"Procedural" and "structured" coding are not opposites. By definition, 
procedural coding *must* be structured, but a procedural language can still 
include unstructured elements. E.g. both C and Pascal include GOTOs. 
Unstructured languages like early BASIC was not procedural, since it lacked 
functions, but it did have a very weak structural element in the form of the 
GOSUB command.

Did you read the link on Wikipedia?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programming_paradigm

Most languages contain elements of more than one style or paradigm, and styles 
overlap considerably. E.g. procedural, object-oriented and functional styles 
are all sub-types of structured programming.

Python is also an imperative language: you are (generally) responsible for 
specifying the order in which statements are executed. But you can also 
program in a more declarative style. Google for Python and Prolog to see examples.


> I'd also be interested in reading the Python history file.

This is a good place to start:

http://docs.python.org/py3k/whatsnew/index.html


-- 
Steven