-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Tuesday 08 October 2002 10:43, Raja Guha wrote: > Rajarshi Guha wrote: > > Coult'nt resist - but if you're new to programming, go with Python. The > > laerning curve is much less steep. You'll write legible well structured > > code. O'Rielly has some excellent > > Don't know much about Python - just read the manual a few weeks ago. > Decided to stick w/ Perl. > > One thing I can say - if we take Natural Language Programming (NLP) > (that's a technical term i just made up, i think) to be the ulimate goal > of all programming languages, then Perl is the leader by a long margin. > (Like natural language its a uphill at the start - but well worth the > effort)
Well, I suppose languages which allow a NLP style might be easy to pick up - since it allows you the freedom to more or less write code in whatever way it occurs to you. I wonder what would happen if at some later point you were thinking about the problem ina differnet manner. Would you be able to grasp the earlier implementation? The reason why I support Python is that once you get into the Python idiom, it reads more or less like English. Of course that implies increased verbosity. But as in Perl, TMTOWTDI :) Funtional programming tools (list comprehensions, lambda's, map/filter/reduce) can make verbose 'English' style code, very compact, efficient & elegant (and of course it can also lead to obfuscation :) Another thing that helps Python is the clean implementaion of OO. Perl, at least from what little I've read and heard, is pretty kludgy when it comes to OO. But all this is just my view of the language :) The main reason why I always point out Python to people getting into programming is the fact that it is easy to pick up - but thats just me (and a few other people). Admittedly, its not as free form as Perl, but IMO a little discipline is a good thing when you're starting out :) And of course whatever Perl can do, Python can as well. Of course if a job needs you to know Perl thats another question. But if you're getting into coding why not learn Python? After you pick up one language all the others follow. Might as well start with some good coding habits. But in the end, I suppose you use whatever is required and what you're comfortable with. Like I said, you can do in Python whatever you do in Perl, so in the end it does'nt matter I suppose. > rajarshi, take care - hope the weather there is still tolerable? :) Actually, it got a little cold. Maybe things'll warm up ;) - -- - ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rajarshi Guha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <http://jijo.cjb.net> GPG Fingerprint: DCCB 4D1A 5A8B 2F5A B5F6 1F9E CDC4 5574 9017 AF2A - ------------------------------------------------------------------- C Code. C Code Run. Run, Code, RUN! PLEASE!!!! -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.0.6 (GNU/Linux) Comment: For info see http://www.gnupg.org iD8DBQE9o1dpzcRVdJAXryoRAkchAKDLGJcaVGCKVqaMhrRmmCE+j6MjCwCeK1HL QykZ7w14pTwLr7Wy1j6rTdU= =aCk0 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the body "unsubscribe ilug-cal" and an empty subject line. FAQ: http://www.ilug-cal.org/help/faq_list.html
