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Python vs. C++ Builder - speed of development

Peter Hansen peter at engcorp.com
Wed Jan 29 23:30:16 EST 2003 
Brandon Van Every wrote:
> 
> C++ has a bazillion users.  Well, that's an exaggeration, but it has
> the lion's share of the programmers.  

Depending on what the heck "lion's share" means, this is either
true at the present time, or patently false.  Not really germane, 
however, I suppose.

> Enter Python, and "avant garde" Python aficionados such as found in 
> this forum.  

Interesting adjective... you *are* trolling, aren't you? :-)

> A tiny minority of early converts
> who do not experience problems because they're all good engineers anyways.
> When Python is finally used by every schmuck out there, to the same degree
> that C++ is, I predict you'll see as many people blowing off their leg with
> Python as with C++.  At least in terms of rough orders of magnitude.

You're overlooking the experience of those like Alex Martelli (and me,
and dozens of others) who have already used C++ extensively, and *are*
good engineers, as you suggest, and yet who have found far more fertile
ground for a wide range of problems in that baroque language than we
have in Python.

I don't think anyone who has programmed in both languages for years
would agree with your statement.

> Python may a be a great productivity tool for the power programmer, but I
> seriously doubt that it's any kind of magic bullet for the average engineer.

There is no magic bullet for the "average engineer".  Remember what
Brooks said... he is still right.

-Peter
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