Hi Thomas. Just my two sens worth : I study computer sience and I'm currently third year. While we use c and java as our main development languages, python is a compulsary module too, simply because proof of concepts are so easy to program. Also doing tournaments like IT challenge or Google codeJam is much easier with python. As for braces, python has a similar issue with indentation, which I guess leads to better looking code, but I find annoying.
On 4/24/11, Thomas Ward <thomasward1...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Ryan, > > Yeah, I understand. I mean it is taking me 10 times longer to write > Mysteries of the Ancients than it would in something like Python > simply because the language is so much more complex. When you think > about how many braces, brackets, and other syntax goes into a standard > C++ application it all adds up to extra time typing all of that where > in Python you can just double space and start your new function > without having to remember if you added enough right braces to the end > of your function to properly terminate that block of code. > > All the same there are some things that just rilly turn me off about > Python. For example, the way the Python developers decided somewhere a > long the way not to use technical terminology and rename everything to > be Python specific. As someone who was trained professionally in > languages like C++, Java, etc it really gets me that instead of > calling object serialization by its technical name they call it > pickling. Instead of calling an array an array they have dictionaries, > lists, toupals, etc which just seems weird to me. So that's one reason > I said Python teaches people bad habits and would have to relearn > terminology and things like that if they take up another language. > Python tends to forsake the technical terminology, and other things a > pro would learn in college in order to be more understandable to > someone without the high priced education. I understand how calling an > array a list or dictionary might be easier to grasp than a name such > as an array, but the fact of the mmatter is they are technically > arrays with a different name. Although, where they got the name > pickling for object serialization I'll never know. Its a bit silly to > my mind. > > Anyway, as you said we are both creating games and that is the > important thing. In the end how you write it doesn't matter as long as > it works. > > One advantage you have with Python that I don't have with C++ is > cross-platform support. Since Python is primarily a runtime language > most of your game will use modules like PyGame that wraps some native > C++ library like SDL. Since you aren't bound to SDL directly you can > install the pyc files and run them anywhere there is a compatible > Python runtime and PyGame installation without recompiling. All the > low-level stuff like native code is done by the C/C++ guys leaving you > free to write your games without worrying about the APIs you are > using. > > With C++ I have to recompile the game, and even sometimes modify > sections of the program to compile it on a new target platform. > However, since there usually are no handy third-party wrappers for > things I usually get stuck using some sort of operating system > specific code like SAPI, the Win32 API, DirectX, whatever meaning I > have to do a lot of upgrading to support Mac/Linux. This is an issue > I'm really trying to solve as it gets tiring rewriting this or that to > support one operating system or the other. Most likely after MOTA is > done I'll write some third-party wrappers for OS specific things > meaning I can just include this or that library during compile time > and forget it. > > Cheers! > > > > > > > On 4/24/11, Ryan Strunk <ryan.str...@gmail.com> wrote: >> Hey Tom, >> >> Fair points both, and I can well understand one's bias toward a particular >> language. I myself am kindly disposed to Python if you hadn't noticed. For >> me it really came down to basic understanding. I hated having to write out >> a >> complex program to print "hello world," especially when every book I read >> said things like "Don't worry about the class and void stuff yet. We'll >> get >> to those in chapter 8." If we don't get to understand them immediately, >> why >> do we use them now? With Python, I just type "print 'hello world'" and I'm >> done. I love the fact that when I want to test health subtraction, I can >> just launch the shell with those particular methods and test them >> interactively. It's cut down on any number of semantic errors as a result. >> >> That said, I'm jealous of things like XNA that have all sorts of sound >> craziness that I don't have. I suppose I'll just have to port some open >> source libraries and use them myself. >> >> In the end, we're both making games, and I think that's the important >> part. >> >> Ryan > > --- > Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org > If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to > gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. > You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at > http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. > All messages are archived and can be searched and read at > http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. > If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, > please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. > --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
