riteshsarraf's Journal: Why is Python called a scripting language?

I wonder why the Python Programming Language is termed as a scripting language. The way I see is is that it too compiles the python source file into a python byte-code which is executed by the Python VM. Now Java also does the same thing.. But then why isn't Java called a scripting language?

Re:because it is an alternative to Perl?

[riteshsarraf]

So fundamentally there isn't any difference in a language like Java to a language like Python. It's just the matter what you are more comfortable and efficient with ?? Memory Management in Python is of the worries to the programmer, right ?

Programming or scripting?

[IpalindromeI]

My thought on this topic is that the programming language/scripting language distinction is a myth perpetrated by people who either:

1. Use only C or C++ and don't think much of anyone who can't do their own memory management, or think only these languages give them enough "control."
2. Make their money writing Java and so desperately want to be accepted by the first group that they disdain the rest of the world that they themselves are a part of. Many can't even see how similar their language is to the other "sc

Re:Programming or scripting?

[IpalindromeI]

The problem with your reasoning is that you don't have any. You haven't backed up any of your statements with reasoning.

Just saying that "there are scripting languages" is not an argument. I've been using Perl for general purpose programming for years, and I (and most people that have actually used Perl) would not agree that it is "a simple, possibly specialized, language used to achieve small tasks and is undesirable to use for large tasks." Even Bash can do more than just run external programs in sequenc