Tim Lesher wrote: > On 4/23/06, Simon Belak <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> I assume we are talking about border cases where function resolution >> order is not clear. > > That's one situation, but... > >> Yes, it is harder, however why would you want to do >> static human analysis in a dynamic language? Fire up an interpreter >> prompt and "experiment". > > The bigger problem is that in a interpreter, it's often difficult to > duplicate the conditions that are prevalent during runtime of a large > Python application. > > This is less a problem with the theory of generic functions (which is > mathematically sound, of course), than with their implementation and > use in Python. > > In my experience, interactive "live" development is a lot harder in > Python environments that it is in Lisp or Smalltalk environments, > simply because many Lisp and Smalltalk applications are _designed_ to > be developed in this way: they are usually comprised of smaller > functions, with less state and fewer side effects (pre-optimization, > of course), and their standard libraries support that idiom very well. > > On the other hand, Python applications tend to be a mixture of C-style > procedural libraries (mostly because of the C-runtime-flavored Python > standard library), C++ and Java-style object-oriented classes, and a > small slice of functional programming. That makes them harder to debug > than either environments based on functional languages (where a live > REPL is often sufficient for most,but not all, debugging) or C-like > environments (where static analysis is often sufficient for most, but > not all, debugging). > > This isn't an anti-Python rant (although it's starting to smell like > one!). My opinion is that generic functions are harder to work with in > Python than they are in the environments from whence they originated > (due to the environment, not the functions themselves), and for that > reason, they can't be used as lightly as they are in their "native" > habitats.
Can't argue with that, however as an avid (smug ;)) Lisper I would much rather TG moves towards a live environment (where it belongs) than to relinquish my toys, erm I mean powerful tools. Cheers, Simon --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TurboGears" group. To post to this group, send email to turbogears@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/turbogears -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
