3 ms·

In what situation is python the worst possible choice, while ruby which is very similar to it is the best possible choice? Unless you're doing some clever ruby

In what situation is python the worst possible choice, while ruby which is very similar to it is the best possible choice? Unless you're doing some clever ruby metaprogramming type stuff which is totally impossible in python.

peoplefromibiza 4y ago
> In what situation is python the worst possible choice, while ruby which is very similar to it is the best possible choice? in no particular order, on top of my mind (there are many more): - mixed environments when you can't compartmentalize Python in a container. Python package management is one of the best examples of "poor implementation" - mixed environments, when both Python 2.x and 3.x are present. Migration to Python 3.x is the textbook example of "badly executed". And we are still not entirely there 10 years after. - prototyping web apps, in the same time spent configuring Python venv, you have a perfectly functioning Ruby prototype - writing web apps, in the same time you understand how to make a custom sql query in Django, you're already selling your first product in Ruby and the website won't be ugly as hell by default. Rails is the killer app, nobody can deny it. My biggest gripe with Python is that many times when I have to deploy Python, I discover an issue and ask the author(s), I'm back to "but It works on my computer" times, like when I started, in the 90s of previous century. Yes, Python is used to write beautiful things such as youtube-dl and Sublime Text (porting Sublime to Python 3 is one of the reasons why Sublime is almost dead). However, given the fact that in Sublime plugins are written in Python, people flocked to (even!) Atom, because they could use other languages, not inherently better, but with less issues connected to the language used. I lost count of how many times Sublime died on me and stopped working spouting Python errors that I had no time nor will to fix. Disclaimer: I am a paying customer of Sublime 2 and 3. Edit: lots of Pythonists triggered for no reason apparently. Don't take it personally, if you have counter opinions, express them. Downvoting is not an opinion, it's a passive aggressive way to show disagreement, which frankly is the reason why we're still stuck with Python. I don't mind an honest discussion and people disagreeing with me, it's why I am here after all.
- adammarples 4y ago
  I think this could be summed up as a) python venvs can be very annoying, and are a weakness of python, and b) rails + active record is a strength for ruby. Fully agree with both, but disagree with the hyperbole (worst possible choice vs. best possible choice). FWIW I haven't even seen Python 2 code in about 6 years.
  - peoplefromibiza 4y ago
    > worst possible choice vs. best possible choice worst possible choice VS not worst > FWIW I haven't even seen Python 2 code in about 6 years. there are a lot of scripts lurking around in corporate environments all over the World 6 years is brand new to them There are a lot of environments "certified" to work only on, let's say, Redhat 5 <= 5.2
- KyeRussell 4y ago
  With all due respect, as someone that’s probably downvoted everything you’ve said on this thread, my reasons for doing so have nothing to do with your language preferences. Your comments are needlessly impassioned and vitriolic. I am not even remotely interested in the type of religious war discussion you are trying to foster. I can honestly say with complete confidence that I’d feel this way regardless of what language you were talking about. In addition to this though, as someone that writes Python / Django professionally and has done so for some time, my familiarity with the language gives me the necessarily insight to see where your experience is limited. I’ve seen a few inarguable factual inaccuracies (i.e. not based on opinion) in what you’ve said in a few comments. It seems obvious that when you engage with Python and Django you aren’t doing so all that willingly. But honestly your strength in your convictions puts me off getting into a back and forth with you to reach a shared understanding. The confidence with which you’re writing feels a bit misplaced. Your overuse of hyperbole makes it hard to tell what you actually believe and what you’d genuinely argue for in a real-life professional context rather than behind a screen name on an Internet forum, so even if I wanted to engage in a back and forth I wouldn’t even know where to meet you. This is a classic example of the loudest and most impassioned voices framing themselves as winning because people just don’t want to engage. This is all to say before writing off downvoters are upset people on “the other team” which are lesser than you, consider the possibility that you’re probably throwing your weight around a bit too much and are creating an environment that’s generally unpleasant. I’ve enjoyed the tech community largely moving away from the “us vs them” mentality. Truth be told, none of this shit matters enough to warrant that sort of mentality. I feel like I’ve stepped back in time reading your comments. Not only are they unenjoyable to read, but I am not an iota more enlightened about the comparative benefits of Ruby vs Python. So I ask you…what’s actually your intention in commenting in the first place? The truthful answer to that question is why I’ll continue to downvote.

peoplefromibiza 4y ago

> In what situation is python the worst possible choice, while ruby which is very similar to it is the best possible choice? in no particular order, on top of my mind (there are many more): - mixed environments when you can't compartmentalize Python in a container. Python package management is one of the best examples of "poor implementation" - mixed environments, when both Python 2.x and 3.x are present. Migration to Python 3.x is the textbook example of "badly executed". And we are still not entirely there 10 years after. - prototyping web apps, in the same time spent configuring Python venv, you have a perfectly functioning Ruby prototype - writing web apps, in the same time you understand how to make a custom sql query in Django, you're already selling your first product in Ruby and the website won't be ugly as hell by default. Rails is the killer app, nobody can deny it. My biggest gripe with Python is that many times when I have to deploy Python, I discover an issue and ask the author(s), I'm back to "but It works on my computer" times, like when I started, in the 90s of previous century. Yes, Python is used to write beautiful things such as youtube-dl and Sublime Text (porting Sublime to Python 3 is one of the reasons why Sublime is almost dead). However, given the fact that in Sublime plugins are written in Python, people flocked to (even!) Atom, because they could use other languages, not inherently better, but with less issues connected to the language used. I lost count of how many times Sublime died on me and stopped working spouting Python errors that I had no time nor will to fix. Disclaimer: I am a paying customer of Sublime 2 and 3. Edit: lots of Pythonists triggered for no reason apparently. Don't take it personally, if you have counter opinions, express them. Downvoting is not an opinion, it's a passive aggressive way to show disagreement, which frankly is the reason why we're still stuck with Python. I don't mind an honest discussion and people disagreeing with me, it's why I am here after all.

adammarples 4y ago
I think this could be summed up as a) python venvs can be very annoying, and are a weakness of python, and b) rails + active record is a strength for ruby. Fully agree with both, but disagree with the hyperbole (worst possible choice vs. best possible choice). FWIW I haven't even seen Python 2 code in about 6 years.
- peoplefromibiza 4y ago
  > worst possible choice vs. best possible choice worst possible choice VS not worst > FWIW I haven't even seen Python 2 code in about 6 years. there are a lot of scripts lurking around in corporate environments all over the World 6 years is brand new to them There are a lot of environments "certified" to work only on, let's say, Redhat 5 <= 5.2
KyeRussell 4y ago
With all due respect, as someone that’s probably downvoted everything you’ve said on this thread, my reasons for doing so have nothing to do with your language preferences. Your comments are needlessly impassioned and vitriolic. I am not even remotely interested in the type of religious war discussion you are trying to foster. I can honestly say with complete confidence that I’d feel this way regardless of what language you were talking about. In addition to this though, as someone that writes Python / Django professionally and has done so for some time, my familiarity with the language gives me the necessarily insight to see where your experience is limited. I’ve seen a few inarguable factual inaccuracies (i.e. not based on opinion) in what you’ve said in a few comments. It seems obvious that when you engage with Python and Django you aren’t doing so all that willingly. But honestly your strength in your convictions puts me off getting into a back and forth with you to reach a shared understanding. The confidence with which you’re writing feels a bit misplaced. Your overuse of hyperbole makes it hard to tell what you actually believe and what you’d genuinely argue for in a real-life professional context rather than behind a screen name on an Internet forum, so even if I wanted to engage in a back and forth I wouldn’t even know where to meet you. This is a classic example of the loudest and most impassioned voices framing themselves as winning because people just don’t want to engage. This is all to say before writing off downvoters are upset people on “the other team” which are lesser than you, consider the possibility that you’re probably throwing your weight around a bit too much and are creating an environment that’s generally unpleasant. I’ve enjoyed the tech community largely moving away from the “us vs them” mentality. Truth be told, none of this shit matters enough to warrant that sort of mentality. I feel like I’ve stepped back in time reading your comments. Not only are they unenjoyable to read, but I am not an iota more enlightened about the comparative benefits of Ruby vs Python. So I ask you…what’s actually your intention in commenting in the first place? The truthful answer to that question is why I’ll continue to downvote.