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What is Python?

Aahz Maruch aahz at panix.com
Fri Sep 15 10:33:34 EDT 2000 
In article <slrn8s3jhi.4e8.tim at degree.ath.cx>,
Tim Hammerquist <tim at degree.ath.cx> wrote:
>
>	2.	Perl's syntax is admittedly "noisy," but that's part of its
>		charm!  And an experienced Perl programmer will be able to
>		easily comprehend (and often criticize) any code he/she comes
>		across, assuming it's not overly (and deliberately) obfuscated.

That is true for many experienced Perl programmers, perhaps even most,
but there is a substantial minority of experienced Perl programmers
(including me) who feel that expertise does not lend itself to
significantly enhanced Perl reading skill.

>	4.	Python appears to be much closer to its C roots than the very
>		abstracted Perl, and I will most likely come to appreciate this
>		alot.  And I would personally feel much more comfortable
>		programming a larger app in Python than Perl...and I'm a
>		hardcore Perl fan!

Python actually doesn't have any C roots.  Its design is driven in part
by one of the same design goals for C -- simplicity -- but with vastly
different results due to its other design goals.  The main branch of
Python is written in C, but because of the simplicity of Python's
design, it's actually fairly easy to rewrite the core interpreter in
other langauges, including Java (which gives us JPython).
-- 
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