[Zope] Re: [Zope-Annce] ANN: Perl For Zope - why I'm bummed

[John Chandler]

> Actually, I'd like to see Zope interface with "more" languages (Java, C++
> etc.)  There are a number of areas that Python performs poorly (I'd prefer
> to write encryption algorithms in C, personally) and there are areas where
> Python performs very well (OO modelling).  I think if people are upset that

It comes down to a combination of using the right tool for the right job
with a little bit of personal preference thrown in. Zope, through Python,
already supports C. I personally don't like C very much, but I use it and
it has certain advantages over other compiled languages - in an ideal
world I'd do compiled coding in something like Modula-2, but it just isn't
practical from a portability and support front.

> they may have to extend their knowledge base to be Zope "experts" than this
> is a little silly.  Do I have to be an Oracle/MySQL/SyBase/etc. to know
> Zope.  No - I benefit from Zope being able to handle all of these database
> sources.  If someone has written a Zope product that "works" I really don't
> care what language it's in (ok, I "do," but not entirely :).  If it's broken

Exactly :-) For me personally, the implementation language of Zope is
completely immaterial - it could be written in Cobol, Prolog or Forth but
if it does exactly what it does at the moment I would still use it and
enjoy it because it has so much power. When Simon and Chris in the office
introduced me to Zope, the internals didn't matter - there was so much
potential lurking on the outside, I just couldn't be anything but
impressed. Zope is seriously cool stuff.

I'd never touched a line of Python at the time, though I quickly learnt it
from a curiosity point of view (remember, I was/still am a Perl coder). It
wasn't useful at the time, but it has been since.

> eventually port them over if Python will make them better.  And, if not,
> there are books on Perl that would enable a relatively competent Python
> programmer to hack their way through it.

The thing is, if you are a reasonable to good programmer in one language,
there's no reason why you can't pick up another language easily - in fact,
it's very good practice to learn new languages even if you end up putting
them to one side after a few weeks/months and go back to your language of
choice.

In some ways, going from a rigid (and I mean that in a nice way, just
couldn't think of a better word) language such as Python that enforces
good programming habits will make it easier for you to be a good
programmer in a less-rigid language such as Perl. Pascal or Modula-2 to C
or C++ is a much easier transition than the other way around because
you've learnt the good programming habits from the start and have trained
your mind not to abuse the darker side of C. When people ask me what's a
good language to learn programming with, something like Python or Pascal
is usually my first answer, C isn't even though it may be in more
widespread use than Pascal.

*phew* And some people think computing is dull ;-)


John

--
 John Chandler  /  Software Developer  /  New Information Paradigms Ltd
   [ Linux in the office, AmigaOS in the home, PalmOS in the pocket ]
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 The opinions above aren't those of my company...
                           ...but then, they aren't really mine either.