Scientific American publishes a paean to Python
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Quote:
The power of modern programming languages is that they are expressive, readable, concise, precise, and executable. That means we can eliminate middleman languages and use one language to explore, learn, teach, and think.
Python is expressive and readable ?
Quote:
Students can use the algorithms first and learn how they work later. They can see the most important ideas, like spectral decomposition, without being blinded by details. They can work on real applications, on the first day, that provide the motivation to go deeper. And they can have a lot more fun.
And, it is so important that the little snowflakes not be "triggered" by anything that might make them feel a little less than tranquil ? [^]
«When I consider my brief span of life, swallowed up in an eternity before and after, the little space I fill, and even can see, engulfed in the infinite immensity of spaces of which I am ignorant, and which know me not, I am frightened, and am astonished at being here rather than there; for there is no reason why here rather than there, now rather than then.» Blaise Pascal
-
Quote:
The power of modern programming languages is that they are expressive, readable, concise, precise, and executable. That means we can eliminate middleman languages and use one language to explore, learn, teach, and think.
Python is expressive and readable ?
Quote:
Students can use the algorithms first and learn how they work later. They can see the most important ideas, like spectral decomposition, without being blinded by details. They can work on real applications, on the first day, that provide the motivation to go deeper. And they can have a lot more fun.
And, it is so important that the little snowflakes not be "triggered" by anything that might make them feel a little less than tranquil ? [^]
«When I consider my brief span of life, swallowed up in an eternity before and after, the little space I fill, and even can see, engulfed in the infinite immensity of spaces of which I am ignorant, and which know me not, I am frightened, and am astonished at being here rather than there; for there is no reason why here rather than there, now rather than then.» Blaise Pascal
I would say that Python is no less expressive than many other languages out there. It takes some getting used to, but that is true of every new language. My major problem with Python's syntax is that it uses indentation to delimit blocks, which is error-prone (especially when refactoring). That being said, I would not use Python for anything other than small, in-house programs. Given that there is no deterministic memory management, and (AFAIK) there is no Python compiler, it is unsuitable for large or for commercial programs. I agree with you about the snowflakes. The entrance to the campus reads "University", no "Kindergarten"; if you can't handle that, you have no business being here.
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack. --Winston Churchill