Comments on: Ever want to unwrite something? http://mathieu.fenniak.net/ever-want-to-unwrite-something/ Just another WordPress weblog Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:37:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Paul Boddie http://mathieu.fenniak.net/ever-want-to-unwrite-something/comment-page-1/#comment-84 Paul Boddie Mon, 31 Jul 2006 19:21:50 +0000 http://mathieu.fenniak.net/ever-want-to-unwrite-something/#comment-84 I also agree with what you said, although perhaps due to reasons opposed to those given by Michael (I'd rather not have a dozen synonyms for the same method, nor have libraries encouraged to monkeypatch built-in classes), and I'd rather see attention spent elsewhere in the Python distribution instead of trying to emulate dubious "design wins" of other languages. Meanwhile, it does appear to outsiders that the core developers have forgotten the Bell Labs "proverbs" about language and library design: that an expressive language is essential, but the existence of a mature-but-relevant, standard (and standardised) library makes the language more appropriate and attractive for many kinds of potential user. I also agree with what you said, although perhaps due to reasons opposed to those given by Michael (I’d rather not have a dozen synonyms for the same method, nor have libraries encouraged to monkeypatch built-in classes), and I’d rather see attention spent elsewhere in the Python distribution instead of trying to emulate dubious “design wins” of other languages. Meanwhile, it does appear to outsiders that the core developers have forgotten the Bell Labs “proverbs” about language and library design: that an expressive language is essential, but the existence of a mature-but-relevant, standard (and standardised) library makes the language more appropriate and attractive for many kinds of potential user.

]]> By: Michael P. Soulier http://mathieu.fenniak.net/ever-want-to-unwrite-something/comment-page-1/#comment-83 Michael P. Soulier Mon, 31 Jul 2006 14:12:35 +0000 http://mathieu.fenniak.net/ever-want-to-unwrite-something/#comment-83 I don't know, I find that I agreed with a lot of what you had to say. I find that programmers just can't leave a good thing alone. Most of the things that I'd change in Python are quite small things. Lately I've been torn between Python and Ruby, due to Ruby's philosophy of "make the programmer happy". As a programmer, I like that philosophy, and Python doesn't always make me happy, from assumptions that I want newlines automagickally added to my print statements to lists having a pop() method but no push(). It the end, I find it's the little things that add up to something that is finally annoying enough to go somewhere else. If the Ruby docs ever improve from their currently abyssmal state, I'll be very tempted. Mike I don’t know, I find that I agreed with a lot of what you had to say. I find that programmers just can’t leave a good thing alone. Most of the things that I’d change in Python are quite small things.

Lately I’ve been torn between Python and Ruby, due to Ruby’s philosophy of “make the programmer happy”. As a programmer, I like that philosophy, and Python doesn’t always make me happy, from assumptions that I want newlines automagickally added to my print statements to lists having a pop() method but no push().

It the end, I find it’s the little things that add up to something that is finally annoying enough to go somewhere else. If the Ruby docs ever improve from their currently abyssmal state, I’ll be very tempted.

Mike

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