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The History of Python: New-style Classes
- jacobolus 16y agoThe Python community’s (and Guido’s) approach to evolving language features and backwards compatibility is really a model for software projects. The focus when comparing programming languages or other types of software is often on feature specifics, but those are driven by process and community. It’s the process of smart high-level mailing list debate, followed by PEPs, more debate, and executive decisions by a careful (even skeptical) but dedicated and competent BDFL that makes Python what it is. There’s a brilliant book about teams, projects, and workflows hiding somewhere in a detailed historical review and comparison of popular programming languages.
- wingo 16y agoI do not like Guido's language design instincts, but his respect for his users' existing code is admirable, and has proved to work very well for Python.
- clutchski 16y ago"I do not like Guido's language design instincts" I am curious. What don't you like?
- wingo 16y agoTough to say. You will not like this answer, as it is not precise. I think it's that when I hack python (and I did so professionally for a few years), I feel like someone is trying to tell me what to do. I don't like being told what to do.
- bdr 16y agoMakes sense. "There should be one — and preferably only one — obvious way to do it."
- pavelludiq 16y agoNotice the words "should", "preferably" and "obvious". Sometimes some people miss these for some reason and they read "There is only one way to do it", which is a shame because they either like it as an idea(which means they are mentally limited), or hate python for it(which means they are ignorant of the languages flexibility.
- mahmud 16y agoGvR showed complete misunderstanding of recursion until someone mailed him a copy of SICP. http://twitter.com/gvanrossum/status/1838308947 http://twitter.com/gvanrossum/status/1838308947 And the bibliography: http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/8lgp0/guido_van_rossum_somebody_mailed_me_a_copy/c09ogre http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/8lgp0/guido_van...
- studer 16y agoOh, please. It's not like anyone's forcing you to be an trolling asshole, so why do you gladly volunteer? You don't know Guido, and you don't have the slightest idea what he knows and not.
- mahmud 16y agoBy his own admission: "A lot of people remarked that in my post on Tail Recursion Elimination I confused tail self-recursion with other tail calls, which proper Tail Call Optimization (TCO) also eliminates. I now feel more educated: tail calls are not just about loops" http://neopythonic.blogspot.com/2009/04/final-words-on-tail-calls.html http://neopythonic.blogspot.com/2009/04/final-words-on-tail-... What exactly did your reply contribute, aside from calling me a "trolling asshole"?
- moe 16y agoSo, Guido had a misconception about something, was educated about it, is now smarter than before - and freely admitting it. Seems like quite a normal thing to me (it's called "learning"), so what's the big deal here? Is Guido not allowed to make mistakes?
- Scriptor 16y agoThe "Benevolent Dictator" of a major language is still learning some basics of language design 18 years into starting that language. I'd more more okay with it if Guido didn't have such a strong grasp on the language's future.