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Is Python really dying? I think the original article proclaiming it's death was written by a MS guy (aren't they coming out with a new version of asp or .net or

by jqm 12y ago

Is Python really dying? I think the original article proclaiming it's death was written by a MS guy (aren't they coming out with a new version of asp or .net or something?). I use it every day and even though I love JS (and have been thinking about looking into Go because of all the positive noise) I don't see Python going anywhere for me at least. It is simply too handy and familiar. Maybe it just will be used slightly less by some? I'd have to see some real stats that Python is dying to believe it.

BuckRogers 12y ago
The Go noise got to me too. I worked through a book on it, implementing a project in it, and ended up writing it off. The problem for me was the insane concept they adopted around C-style error codes and abandoning exceptions. The idea that errors should pass by default rather than halt by default is just putting more on the programmer to manage. Which I'm almost universally against unless there are significant gains (eg. manual memory management, when appropriate). This guy adds more that I don't care to restate- http://uberpython.wordpress.com/2012/09/23/why-im-not-leaving-python-for-go/#comment-1412 http://uberpython.wordpress.com/2012/09/23/why-im-not-leavin... The library scene for Go is also lackluster in comparison to Python, and libraries are what make a language useful. Lack of exceptions kills Go for me, but others are PO'd about lack of generics and some criticize the type system as ignoring the last 20 years of innovation there. Instead of Go, I'm more excited about Rust as a systems language. Go ultimately is GC'd so it will never be suitable for real-time computing, say writing software for traders or many other use cases. It doesn't so low-level enough to takeover that field (which is why the C/C++ guys aren't coming), and isn't high level enough to really wipe out Python. It's an awkward, yet highly flawed design. If you're really interested in systems programming, wait for Rust to hit 1.0. I'm more interested in seeing how we can squeeze more performance out of Python with Pyston and PyPy, and if I abandon Python for web development I'll probably be looking at the MEAN stack and biting the bullet on Javascript once ES6 arrives.
- yoklov 12y ago
  Well, given that the original target for Go was C/C++ programmers, the stance on error handling makes perfect sense. Exceptions are arguably one of C++'s largest mistakes, and it requires careful thought to write code in a completely (e.g. strongly) exception-safe way (not to mention it's caused somewhat of a fracture in the C++ community over the years...). Presumably, this is why they don't exist in Go, and it's certainly why they don't exist in Rust. FWIW, I'm a C++ programmer, and I was a C programmer before that, so my experience with Python is rather limited.

by jqm 12y ago

BuckRogers 12y ago

The Go noise got to me too. I worked through a book on it, implementing a project in it, and ended up writing it off. The problem for me was the insane concept they adopted around C-style error codes and abandoning exceptions. The idea that errors should pass by default rather than halt by default is just putting more on the programmer to manage. Which I'm almost universally against unless there are significant gains (eg. manual memory management, when appropriate). This guy adds more that I don't care to restate- http://uberpython.wordpress.com/2012/09/23/why-im-not-leaving-python-for-go/#comment-1412 http://uberpython.wordpress.com/2012/09/23/why-im-not-leavin... The library scene for Go is also lackluster in comparison to Python, and libraries are what make a language useful. Lack of exceptions kills Go for me, but others are PO'd about lack of generics and some criticize the type system as ignoring the last 20 years of innovation there. Instead of Go, I'm more excited about Rust as a systems language. Go ultimately is GC'd so it will never be suitable for real-time computing, say writing software for traders or many other use cases. It doesn't so low-level enough to takeover that field (which is why the C/C++ guys aren't coming), and isn't high level enough to really wipe out Python. It's an awkward, yet highly flawed design. If you're really interested in systems programming, wait for Rust to hit 1.0. I'm more interested in seeing how we can squeeze more performance out of Python with Pyston and PyPy, and if I abandon Python for web development I'll probably be looking at the MEAN stack and biting the bullet on Javascript once ES6 arrives.

yoklov 12y ago
Well, given that the original target for Go was C/C++ programmers, the stance on error handling makes perfect sense. Exceptions are arguably one of C++'s largest mistakes, and it requires careful thought to write code in a completely (e.g. strongly) exception-safe way (not to mention it's caused somewhat of a fracture in the C++ community over the years...). Presumably, this is why they don't exist in Go, and it's certainly why they don't exist in Rust. FWIW, I'm a C++ programmer, and I was a C programmer before that, so my experience with Python is rather limited.