[ale] Pyhon syntax

[Benjamin Scherrey]

Comments intermixed...

fletch at phydeaux.org wrote:

>>>>>>"Benjamin" == Benjamin Scherrey <scherrey at proteus-tech.com> writes:
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>>>>>>
>
>    Benjamin> Absolutely - I think python should be the primary
>    Benjamin> introductory language for high level programming and it
>    Benjamin> would serve as an excellent choice for most programming
>    Benjamin> projects a developer is likely to encounter in his
>    Benjamin> carreer. I honestly can't think of a better language to
>    Benjamin> introduce a new programmer to that will actually be
>    Benjamin> useful later on in 'real life'.
>
>Python -- Pascal for the new millennium :)
>  
>
Yes except no one ever wrote any significant pascal application without 
breaking some of the 'Wirthian' rules. That's where python stands out in 
that it is as expressive as it is simple. Usually those two attributes 
are contrary to each other.

>/me goes back to reading the new edition of _Programming Ruby_ . . .
>  
>
Ruby is a cool language as well. Not quite as simple to comprehend as 
python. I've only avoided doing serious work in it because I haven't 
seen where it significantly improves upon python (a little cleaner 
perhaps in its functional paradigm model and the parameterized types are 
interesting) and it doesn't have near the module support that python has 
(probably 2nd only to perl and rapidly catching up). Some of its symbol 
choices seem to have been made for the sole purpose of being different 
and are counter-intuitive to developers experienced in other languages. 
Perhaps this is something that is overcome as quickly as the oddness of 
using indentation for flow control in python (about two weeks for me 
before it was completely natural). This 'ruby on rails' thing looks 
quite interesting though and may cause me to re-evaluate my thinking if 
a python equivalent doesn't show up in the near term. I'm curious to 
hear what you think ruby's special qualities are since you've likely got 
more experience with it than I.

    best regards,

       Ben Scherrey