The Guru

[Fairlight]

In the relative spacial/temporal region of
Mon, May 26, 2008 at 09:13:32AM -0400, John Esak achieved the spontaneous
generation of the following:
> I've been using/learning Python lately... it seems so much easier for me
> than Perl.  (Not sure if it goes over to the Windows side though like Perl.)

Oh yes, it certainly does.  Here's a URL to the Windows installer:

http://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.5.2/python-2.5.2.msi

Additionally, there's something called Stackless Python that has been
used/embedded in several games, including EVE Online, Civilization IV, and
Second Life.  It's also apparently used in IronPort's mail platform (which
I read to include SpamCop).

I played EVE Online for about 8 months a few years back, and combined with
the OpenGL libraries used, it was actually really a good performer in terms
of speed.  There were outstandng speed issues in the game, especially after
the 2.x Red Moon Rising release, but these largely stemmed from design
flaws in the game itself, not the language or any limitations thereof.  I
also read that they've been rectified.

I'd consider changing to Python (or at least exploring it) if it weren't
for the time investment that would be lost in having learned Perl.  Already
did that once when I (mostly) dropped C.  There's also the question of
losing access to the vast resources of CPAN, which are both significant and
overrated at the same time.  I say overrated, because as with SourceForge,
too many modules see a pre-alpha or an alpha, and then you never hear from
the authors again.  There's a lot of semi-useless crap out there to sort
through. 

Just the thought of migrating though is enough to put me off.  It's like
contemplating a large and arduous move to another country or something--not
something one undertakes lightly.  And Bill's example of the structural
differences alone--I would take the same issues.  I hate implicit block
closures, for instance.  It really leads to code that's harder to analyse,
IMHO.

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