So do you like small tools or having everything built in (like a REPL)? It sounds like you are justifying an emotional attachment rather than making consistent

So do you like small tools or having everything built in (like a REPL)? It sounds like you are justifying an emotional attachment rather than making consistent arguments. Now, there is nothing wrong with having an emotional attachment to a language or other tool, as long as you know it for what it is. Python is a great language and has some really nice features, it's C extension system is miles better than Perl 5's horrible mess called XS. But to me, using it feels like wearing my shoes on the wrong feet, I really prefer Perl 5. From my experience and from listening to colleagues, Python has one edge on Perl 5. Perl 5 and Python have very similar tooling abilities. Long term maintenance of large systems is pretty much the same. Python has the edge in ability to find and hire qualified people because the community has done a better job articulating Python's strengths and recruiting new people.