Thanks from the Java Developer

[redefined.horizons]

I wanted to thank those members of the Python community that took the
time to answer my questions about interfaces and plug-ins in Python. I
have discovered that Python is a very powerful language, and one that I
look forward to using for Linux development. I have found the support
for Python much better than that for Mono, and I will be moving
development of my Linux applications to Python.

Thank you again for the help.

Scott Huey

[RK]

Me too. I feel like I've been living under a rock. Did all this just
happen in the last few years?

[KvS]

Well then I'll also take the opportunity to put in my 2 cts. In the
past I've tried several times to master Java as I at that time
understood it to be *the* hype wrt programming but never really
succeeded in getting beyond "Hello world" :D. Also got bored with all
the technicalities pretty much each time. Some time ago I discovered
Python, immediately liked the spirit of the language and the community
*a lot* and found myself practising with pleasure. I have no
education/profession wrt programming; as I wanted to write a small
application a few days ago after not programming for several months I
succeeded in just a few hours without using any references, somehow
Python is so "natural", at least to me, that your guess of what it
should be is most of the time just exactly right. :).

A big thanks to all the people out there contributing to the language
and/or this group, fantastic job!

[Jarek Zgoda]

re****************@gmail.com napisa³(a):

I wanted to thank those members of the Python community that took the
time to answer my questions about interfaces and plug-ins in Python. I
have discovered that Python is a very powerful language, and one that I
look forward to using for Linux development. I have found the support
for Python much better than that for Mono, and I will be moving
development of my Linux applications to Python.

Going from Python to Java (as it's in my case) is real pain I wish
nobody to feel... Even with multi-million support for Java from giants
like Sun, IBM or Oracle, I find it much easier to gain full control over
my project when using Python than Java.

--
Jarek Zgoda
http://jpa.berlios.de/

[Ant]

Python ruined my life.

I am a Java programmer by profession, and ever since learning Python, I
find it a real chore to open Eclipse and write Java code (or worse -
the XML config files that seem to glue J2EE together). And while I
spend some of my spare time liberated by Python, I spend 10 times as
much time coding in Java at work.

While this is just a little tongue in cheek, I do very frequently find
myself thinking "Why is this so hard?" when doing something that would
be trivial in Python. One of my favorites:

f = open("file.txt")
s = f.read()
f.close()

StringBuffer b = new StringBuffer();
try {
BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new FileReader("file.txt"));
String line = br.readLine();

while (line != null){
b.append(line);
line = br.readLine();
}
} catch (IOException ex){}
String s = b.toString();
WTF!!

[Philippe Martin]

Yes, and then you have to answer Java/C/C++ job/contracts opening knowing
real well the mistake they're making ... as well as you are for
answering ;-)

Ant wrote:

Python ruined my life.

I am a Java programmer by profession, and ever since learning Python, I
find it a real chore to open Eclipse and write Java code (or worse -
the XML config files that seem to glue J2EE together). And while I
spend some of my spare time liberated by Python, I spend 10 times as
much time coding in Java at work.

While this is just a little tongue in cheek, I do very frequently find
myself thinking "Why is this so hard?" when doing something that would
be trivial in Python. One of my favorites:

f = open("file.txt")
s = f.read()
f.close()

StringBuffer b = new StringBuffer();
try {
BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new FileReader("file.txt"));
String line = br.readLine();

while (line != null){
b.append(line);
line = br.readLine();
}
} catch (IOException ex){}
String s = b.toString();
WTF!!

[Edward Elliott]

I know this isn't comp.lang.java but I can't resist...

Jarek Zgoda wrote:

Going from Python to Java (as it's in my case) is real pain I wish
nobody to feel... Even with multi-million support for Java from giants
like Sun, IBM or Oracle, I find it much easier to gain full control over
my project when using Python than Java.

Funny, I felt the same way going from C to Java. I certainly didn't miss
the low-level futzing, null pointer problems, assignment in conditions,
etc. But I constantly felt like the Java libraries and especially the
compiler were obstacles in my way, designed to thwart my efforts at simple,
concise code (yes javac, I *know* that variable is uninitialized. I *want*
it to be null at first. what do you mean, I have to assign "= null" at
declaration? that's what all (non-primitive) variables default to anyway!
wait, you're giving me a compile *error*, not a *warning*? are you
retarded or just evil?!).

Maybe it's better now, that was back in the 1.1 days. I dunno, I'm never
going back again.

Anyway, I posit the class of languages you can migrate to Java from and
*not* feel hamstrung is vanishingly small. Certainly none I've ever used.
ADA? Cobol?

And, um, Python rocks! There we go, back on-topic.

[Alex Martelli]

Ant <an****@gmail.com> wrote:

Python ruined my life.

I am a Java programmer by profession, and ever since learning Python, I
find it a real chore to open Eclipse and write Java code (or worse -
the XML config files that seem to glue J2EE together). And while I
spend some of my spare time liberated by Python, I spend 10 times as
much time coding in Java at work.

So switch jobs -- it's a good time. I did it at a very BAD time, right
at the dotcom crash time, from a safe rewarding job as a senior
developer doing mostly C++, to a scary risky freelance job doing mostly
Python... and my quality of life became MUCH better. Now I'm an
employee again, and even happier -- I work for Google, where Python, C++
and Java are all primary technologies, and every day's a joy.

At least in the Bay Area, the jobmarket for Python programmers is wild,
right now -- firms such as Google, Pixar, BitTorrent, IronPort, etc,
etc, all hungry for Pythonistas -- BayPIGgies mailing list bitching over
too many job-offer posts, and the nuisance of all those recruiters
haunting our monthly meetings and how much time they take, ...!!!
Alex

[Kent Johnson]

Alex Martelli wrote:

Ant <an****@gmail.com> wrote:

Python ruined my life.

Python ruined me for Java coding too.
At least in the Bay Area, the jobmarket for Python programmers is wild,
right now -- firms such as Google, Pixar, BitTorrent, IronPort, etc,
etc, all hungry for Pythonistas -- BayPIGgies mailing list bitching over
too many job-offer posts, and the nuisance of all those recruiters
haunting our monthly meetings and how much time they take, ...!!!

Hmm...eagerly awaiting this phenomenon to reach the Boston area. Python
seems to be mostly used for QA around here.

Kent

[Jarek Zgoda]

Alex Martelli napisa³(a):

At least in the Bay Area, the jobmarket for Python programmers is wild,
right now -- firms such as Google, Pixar, BitTorrent, IronPort, etc,
etc, all hungry for Pythonistas -- BayPIGgies mailing list bitching over
too many job-offer posts, and the nuisance of all those recruiters
haunting our monthly meetings and how much time they take, ...!!!

I cann't wait when this rush arrive to my area. During last 3 years I
had only 2 Python job offerings, so I decided to "inject" Python to my
current organization. ;)

--
Jarek Zgoda
http://jpa.berlios.de/

[Ant]

> So switch jobs -- it's a good time.

If it were that easy I would.. However, I have family commitments
keeping me in Yorkshire (UK) (as well as the fact that I really like
the area!), and the jobs in the area are all Java, .NET (predominantly
C#) and C++.

Always on the lookout for Python work though, and I actively try to
inject at least a bit of it into the work I do, even if it's just
scripts or test programs.

When the time comes, I'll be there though :-)

[John Salerno]

Kent Johnson wrote:

At least in the Bay Area, the jobmarket for Python programmers is wild,
right now -- firms such as Google, Pixar, BitTorrent, IronPort, etc,
etc, all hungry for Pythonistas -- BayPIGgies mailing list bitching over
too many job-offer posts, and the nuisance of all those recruiters
haunting our monthly meetings and how much time they take, ...!!!

Hmm...eagerly awaiting this phenomenon to reach the Boston area.

Hey, I was just thinking the same thing! Of course, what I'm *really*
waiting for is the "looking for people who like to *think* they are
Python developers but aren't really" trend to hit Boston. :)