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Python 2.0 Released
atallah writes: "It would appear that the long awaited Python 2.0 was finally released today. The front page of the Web site has the announcement." According to that announcement, Python 2.0 will receive minor-version updates around every 6 months, even as work begins on the shoot-for-the-moon Python 3000. For the curious, here's the list of what's new in 2.0; the list includes "full XML support and several forms of new syntax," as well as the BeOpen label.
The changes seem to be an incremental evolution of the language, not a groundbreaking new language. But if you are a language / tools junkie like me, you owe it to yourself to take a look, even if you're turned off by the rumors of mandated indenting.
Bleh!
Just wanted to throw out some thoughts on why I steered the project I'm currently working on towards Python. My background is mostly in the MS suite of things. I also know Java, Python, Smalltalk, LISP, C, C++, and I've tinkered with Perl, REBOL, Prolog, etc. so I'm no MS bigot; that's just the majority of my experience.
.NET initiative may push VB into the cross-platform arena soon, it won't be soon enough for me.
.NET world, and throw in Zope for good measure.
First of all, why did we choose Python? The project is basically fat client, and could have been done with almost any development environment.
In our case, Java and VB were the other primary contenders. We need a rapidly developed application that is cross-platform. The customer doesn't have much money at this point, and therefore not much time either. Therefore Java is out. That seems counter-intuitive right? Java is supposed to save a lot of time after all. However, that's only true when you compare Java development time to C or C++ development time. Compare Java's development time to VB or Python's, and it's a completely different story. Java just didn't seem to work at a high enough level of abstraction to get the job done.
So, why didn't we use VB? That's simple: it's developed for, and stays on, Windows. And that's it. Yes there are products that will let you translate VB to Java. There are some cross-platform Basic products out there. Have you used them though? They don't get the job done very well. And they normally leave it to you to figure out where a translation/cross-compile goes wrong. All in all, it just doesn't have a professional feel to it. Also, while the
Now, I suppose we could have used Perl, but frankly I fear Perl. Why? Because of the very flexibility it asserts as an advantage. Yes, I can write the solution in pretty much the way I think. Given the fact that I have yet to find two people who think about a problem in the same way though, that's a maintenance problem in what may become a large project.
Once I selected Python on a preliminary basis, I had to make sure it would actually work. I developed GUIs for it with no problem. We did an XML proof. I did proofs on its object capabilities. I looked at sites and applications developed in Python. Could it handle the (relatively tiny) needs of my project? You bet it can. It can do all of that and more.
Anyone who wants a relatively impressive sample of what Python can do should take a look at http://wildsau.idv.uni-linz.ac.at/mfx/pysol/. It's a huge (free!) solitaire game with all sorts of options and games. I haven't seen anything else like it come from the other scripting languages (not picking on any one language here though), except VB, and that is not on the list. Pile that game on top of the fact that Python gets used for server-side applications, has two companies actively working on its development (BeOpen and ActiveState), can be used in the JVM (JPython), will be usable in the MS
Python is a VERY strong VB replacement contender.
Please mod this post only if you think others should/n't read this. I have enough ego^H^H^Hkarma. Thanks!