Re:Why Python? (Score 1)

In general, Python is great for script-strength stuff, ie. in situations where you would use perl. I can see it getting unwieldly as it got bigger but it generally scales much better then perl. Java tends to be too complex and too restrictive. In short there are many situations where you would choose one over the other.

Python actually scales very well. I feel most people tend to think that it doesn't thanks to its "interpreted language" label. While the label is correct, the argument that it doesn't scale is just plain false (just look at some major apps using it or just plain written in it to see that it doesn't).

But the interesting point to be made from this is that I would like to know what language truly scales *that* well? Immense apps are written in all the time C and we all know how much of a pain it can be to prevent namespace collisions and all of C's other inherent issues. C++ helps with some of this, but then the language's complexities can get in the way. Java is no better off. I would argue that Python scales as well as Java, C, or any other major language; it scales, but with its own set of issues for large apps.

As dubious9 said, " there are many situations where you would choose one over the other", although I manage to always choose Python. =)

like not having enough compile time type checking

Guido plans to have **optional** type checking added to the language at some point. It's just going to take someone to come up with a good PEP (Python Enhancement Proposal) with a really good implementation to get it in.