Advantages of Python?

[teryowen]

Alot of people on this forum talk about python seems like its pretty big in the community. I am very familiar with Perl programing. Now i would like to know if i should try and learn python perhaps it has more functionality or something that perl doesn't have. Just want to hear from some people what they think? and weather i should get into it.

Thanks in advance

[nanotube]

Alot of people on this forum talk about python seems like its pretty big in the community. I am very familiar with Perl programing. Now i would like to know if i should try and learn python perhaps it has more functionality or something that perl doesn't have. Just want to hear from some people what they think? and weather i should get into it.

Thanks in advance

well, if you are very familiar with perl, and can do anything you want with it, there's not that much of a reason to invest into learning a new language - anything you can do with perl you can do with python, and vice versa.

one of the main advantages of python is the readability of code, and its resulting scalability to large projects. but if you don't "feel" the need for better code readability yourself, then unless you are just itching for something new, there may not be a good "business case" for you to invest time and effort into learning python.

if you are just curious, you can't go wrong by going through the python tutorial (on python.org/doc), or googling for "python vs perl" and reading what people have to say about it.

[shawnhcorey]

well, if you are very familiar with perl, and can do anything you want with it, there's not that much of a reason to invest into learning a new language - anything you can do with perl you can do with python, and vice versa.

One of the advantages of learning a new language is learning something different.

one of the main advantages of python is the readability of code, and its resulting scalability to large projects. but if you don't "feel" the need for better code readability yourself, then unless you are just itching for something new, there may not be a good "business case" for you to invest time and effort into learning python.

No, Python does not have readability as an advantage.

if you are just curious, you can't go wrong by going through the python tutorial (on python.org/doc), or googling for "python vs perl" and reading what people have to say about it.

Yes, Python enthusiasts think they are the answer to toilet paper.

But there are other languages to consider, like Perl or Ruby.

[jfinkels]

No, Python does not have readability as an advantage.

???

Python is a "very high level language", and as such, is closer to natural language (specifically English) than is Perl.

EDIT:

p.s. This thread == flamebait

[teryowen]

But there are other languages to consider, like Perl or Ruby.

I know perl quite well. Just not really sure what ruby is, could you explain briefly, is it pretty much like perl.

My main concern is does it add more functionality over perl(for both ruby and python)?

[shawnhcorey]

Python is a "very high level language", and as such, is closer to natural language (specifically English) than is Perl.

Being closer to a natural language just means a whole new space to go wrong in.

p.s. This thread == flamebait

Somehow you think natural languages are logical; or are being thinking within them is logical.

Python, like COBOL, is a Universal Turing Machine. Grow up! You like the syntax of Python but you have never had your naive premises challenged.

Python is no better a language than the rest.

[tjagoda]

I know, or at least I think I know, that one advantage PERL has over Python is it's completely MASSIVE code and userbase. For almost anything under the sun, there's an example (or an example of components) freely available that's been written with PERL. I'm not sure if Python has been able to snowball up quite so much support yet.

Of course, that said as well, I know a lot of people who started Python-ing, and refuse to go back to other languages now.

[jfinkels]

Python, like COBOL, is a Universal Turing Machine. Grow up! You like the syntax of Python but you have never had your naive premises challenged.

I didn't know this was an interrogation.

I'm just making a suggestion as to why people might prefer Python. I understand that all sufficiently powerful languages are equivalent and the only difference is sugar and syntax.

I don't appreciate your assumptions about me (that's definitely NOT the spirit of Ubuntu), so I'm going to step out now and not answer your original question any further.

[shawnhcorey]

I know perl quite well. Just not really sure what ruby is, could you explain briefly, is it pretty much like perl.

My main concern is does it add more functionality over perl(for both ruby and python)?

Ruby is a language; it is an object-oriented language (OOL).

No, it is not like Perl. It assumes that objects are the fundamental premise of programming. Perl objects are an add-on; but they are fully capable as any object.

And no, no language can add more! That is the fundamental principle of a language. Any language that is Turing complete is just as capable as any other language (that is Turing complete). The only difference is the syntax.

[shawnhcorey]

I didn't know this was an interrogation.

I'm just making a suggestion as to why people might prefer Python. I understand that all sufficiently powerful languages are equivalent and the only difference is sugar and syntax.

I don't appreciate your assumptions about me (that's definitely NOT the spirit of Ubuntu), so I'm going to step out now and not answer your original question any further.

I do not appreciate that you can endorse Python but when I endorse Perl, I am "NOT the spirit of Ubuntu."