Newbie to python --- why should i learn !

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  • Raxit@MyKavita.com

    Newbie to python --- why should i learn !

    Hi,

    i was reading/learning some hello world program in python.
    I think its very simillar to Java/C++/C#. What's different (except
    syntax) ?

    what can i do easily with python which is not easy in c++/java !?

    Tnx,
    Raxit

  • A.T.Hofkamp

    #2
    Re: Newbie to python --- why should i learn !

    On 2008-05-08, Raxit@MyKavita. com <raxitsheth2000 @gmail.comwrote :
    Hi,
    >
    i was reading/learning some hello world program in python.
    I think its very simillar to Java/C++/C#. What's different (except
    syntax) ?
    Yes, and all programs that people write typically look like the hello world
    program.
    Look at some real-world programs for a comparison, for example the Python
    Cookbook: http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Cookbook/Python/
    what can i do easily with python which is not easy in c++/java !?
    - be productive in programming, rather than hassling with declaring all kind of
    stuff first.

    - skip compile step.

    On the other hand, if you typically write hello world programs, don't bother.
    You won't see the difference.

    Sincerely,
    Albert

    Comment

    • s0suk3@gmail.com

      #3
      Re: Newbie to python --- why should i learn !

      On May 8, 5:25 am, "Ra...@MyKavita .com" <raxitsheth2... @gmail.com>
      wrote:
      Hi,
      >
      i was reading/learning some hello world program in python.
      I think its very simillar to Java/C++/C#. What's different (except
      syntax) ?
      >
      what can i do easily with python which is not easy in c++/java !?
      >
      Are you a newbie to Python, or to programming in general? I'll assume
      you are a newbie to programming in general because of that last
      question you asked. Things in Python are easier than in almost any
      other programming language. Here are three Hello World programs:

      --------------C++---------------------
      #include <iostream.h>

      main()
      {
      cout << "Hello World!";
      return 0;
      }
      --------------------------------------

      -------------Java---------------------
      class HW {
      public static void main(String args[]) {
      System.out.prin tln("Hello World!");
      }
      }
      --------------------------------------

      ------------Python--------------------
      print "Hello World!"
      --------------------------------------

      --------------C#----------------------
      <I have no idea!>
      --------------------------------------

      I think you can clearly see which one is easiest. Of course, that
      doesn't mean that the "easiest" language is always the "best"
      language, although it is a strong point. But ease of use is just a one-
      in-a-million characteristic of Python. If you're a total beginner, I'd
      recommend you learning the one that attracts you the most.

      Comment

      • pistacchio

        #4
        Re: Newbie to python --- why should i learn !

        Raxit@MyKavita. com ha scritto:
        Hi,
        >
        i was reading/learning some hello world program in python.
        I think its very simillar to Java/C++/C#. What's different (except
        syntax) ?
        >
        well, it's similar in the sense that it is a programming language. So
        you can say that assembly is similar to BASIC, but that both are
        different from finnish, but from a programmer's point of view, they're
        all rather different languages.
        what can i do easily with python which is not easy in c++/java !?
        >
        generally speaking python is said to be easier to pick up for a pletora
        of reasons. technically speaking, it is not, for example, strongly
        typed, nor it forces you to use a programming paradigm like object
        oriented programming.
        This means that if you just want to see your name printed on the screen
        you can simply write:

        print "raxit"

        and get the work done. to understand it you just have to understand some
        basics like what is a string and what is a statement.

        in java, for example, it would look like:

        public class HelloWorld {
        public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.prin tln("raxit");
        }
        }

        in short, to obtain the same result (limited to this case) you have to
        write 650% more code and you're forced to know what is a class, what
        namespace means, what is a function (and arguments) and what are methods
        and the dot notation and an array. not that you won't encounter all of
        them learning python, but you're presented with all of them, all at
        once, in the moment where you just want to write the simplest program.
        that's why a typical java beginner's guide starts with ditto examples
        and adds: "ignore everything for the moment". i hate when i have to
        ignore things of a code that i'm writing!

        the same applies to C# and, to a certain extend, C++ that is a much
        older language and present different learning problems.
        Now, what can you do with python? Virtually everything (network
        programming, game programming, server side scripting). In most cases, it
        would run slower than it would do with the other languages (even slower
        than the slow java). You won't do drivers or kernels in python, but you
        won't even code them in java or C#.
        the programs you'll write will mostly run on a number of different
        platform, like java programs. porting a c++ is a bit tougher. at the
        moment there is project (mono) that is porting the .net platform (where
        c# runs) to multiple platforms, but basically, if you write a c# program
        you're programming for windows.
        hope it helps


        Tnx,
        Raxit
        www.mykavita.com

        Comment

        • maxinbjohn

          #5
          Re: Newbie to python --- why should i learn !

          Hi Raxit,

          One of the the tempting features of Python is that it is fun to code
          in Python. If you are really trying to learn python, you should read
          Adventures with Neko (http://gnuvision.com/books/pybook/) . It is an
          introductory book on Python programming for school children by Mr.
          Pramode CE.

          It is fun for children (when I tried it, me too liked it) to do
          programming with Neko, the cat. I am sure that it will be a fun filled
          learning experience for you.

          Regards,

          Maxin B. John

          pistacchio wrote:
          Raxit@MyKavita. com ha scritto:
          Hi,

          i was reading/learning some hello world program in python.
          I think its very simillar to Java/C++/C#. What's different (except
          syntax) ?
          >
          well, it's similar in the sense that it is a programming language. So
          you can say that assembly is similar to BASIC, but that both are
          different from finnish, but from a programmer's point of view, they're
          all rather different languages.
          >
          what can i do easily with python which is not easy in c++/java !?
          >
          generally speaking python is said to be easier to pick up for a pletora
          of reasons. technically speaking, it is not, for example, strongly
          typed, nor it forces you to use a programming paradigm like object
          oriented programming.
          This means that if you just want to see your name printed on the screen
          you can simply write:
          >
          print "raxit"
          >
          and get the work done. to understand it you just have to understand some
          basics like what is a string and what is a statement.
          >
          in java, for example, it would look like:
          >
          public class HelloWorld {
          public static void main(String[] args) {
          System.out.prin tln("raxit");
          }
          }
          >
          in short, to obtain the same result (limited to this case) you have to
          write 650% more code and you're forced to know what is a class, what
          namespace means, what is a function (and arguments) and what are methods
          and the dot notation and an array. not that you won't encounter all of
          them learning python, but you're presented with all of them, all at
          once, in the moment where you just want to write the simplest program.
          that's why a typical java beginner's guide starts with ditto examples
          and adds: "ignore everything for the moment". i hate when i have to
          ignore things of a code that i'm writing!
          >
          the same applies to C# and, to a certain extend, C++ that is a much
          older language and present different learning problems.
          Now, what can you do with python? Virtually everything (network
          programming, game programming, server side scripting). In most cases, it
          would run slower than it would do with the other languages (even slower
          than the slow java). You won't do drivers or kernels in python, but you
          won't even code them in java or C#.
          the programs you'll write will mostly run on a number of different
          platform, like java programs. porting a c++ is a bit tougher. at the
          moment there is project (mono) that is porting the .net platform (where
          c# runs) to multiple platforms, but basically, if you write a c# program
          you're programming for windows.
          hope it helps
          >
          >
          >
          Tnx,
          Raxit
          www.mykavita.com

          Comment

          • cokofreedom@gmail.com

            #6
            Re: Newbie to python --- why should i learn !

            C#

            using System;
            namespace HelloWorld
            {
            Class HelloWorld
            {
            static void Main(String[] args)
            {
            Console.WriteLi ne("Hello World");
            }
            }
            }

            Comment

            • Krishnakant Mane

              #7
              Re: Newbie to python --- why should i learn !

              hello,
              I have programmed co insidentally in all the 3 languages.
              so out of my experience of 10 + years, I got my personal share of
              reasons to prefer python over the other 2 namely c++ and java.
              firstly as every one has already explained, python is easy, fun to
              learn and can do many things much productively for programmers
              compared to c++ and java.
              and c# is no better in that.
              besides, now a days python has become much much faster in some cases
              faster than java.
              compare pygtk vs java swing.
              python has huge amount of libraries/ modules which are as easy to use
              as the language itself.
              the syntax difference mentioned in the first email on this thread
              makes a huge difference when the code becomes complex and the number
              of lines increase.
              so there are a lot of reasons to prefer python over java.
              for the question "what can I do in python easier than other languages
              " is not a question to be answered because it all depends on how one
              associates the problem space with the language space in which the
              programmer wishes to express the solution.
              there will be people who will say "java is much better choice for
              large scale programmes " but people like myself will always question
              that.
              happy hacking.
              Krishnakant.

              Comment

              • Eduardo O. Padoan

                #8
                Re: Newbie to python --- why should i learn !

                On Thu, May 8, 2008 at 7:25 AM, Raxit@MyKavita. com
                <raxitsheth2000 @gmail.comwrote :
                Hi,
                >
                i was reading/learning some hello world program in python.
                I think its very simillar to Java/C++/C#. What's different (except
                syntax) ?
                >
                what can i do easily with python which is not easy in c++/java !?
                Programming in a pure duck typing style



                --
                Eduardo de Oliveira Padoan


                Bookmarks: http://del.icio.us/edcrypt

                Comment

                • Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch

                  #9
                  Re: Newbie to python --- why should i learn !

                  On Thu, 08 May 2008 04:17:01 -0700, s0suk3 wrote:
                  Are you a newbie to Python, or to programming in general? I'll assume
                  you are a newbie to programming in general because of that last
                  question you asked. Things in Python are easier than in almost any
                  other programming language. Here are three Hello World programs:
                  Counterexamples for quite short "greetings" in other programming languages:

                  (Free)BASIC::

                  Print "Hello World!"

                  OCaml::

                  print_string "Hello World!" ;;

                  Io::

                  "Hello World!" linePrint

                  Haskell::

                  main = putStrLn "Hello World!"

                  Ciao,
                  Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch

                  Comment

                  • pistacchio

                    #10
                    Re: Newbie to python --- why should i learn !

                    Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch ha scritto:
                    On Thu, 08 May 2008 04:17:01 -0700, s0suk3 wrote:
                    >
                    >Are you a newbie to Python, or to programming in general? I'll assume
                    >you are a newbie to programming in general because of that last
                    >question you asked. Things in Python are easier than in almost any
                    >other programming language. Here are three Hello World programs:
                    >
                    Counterexamples for quite short "greetings" in other programming languages:
                    >
                    (Free)BASIC::
                    >
                    Print "Hello World!"
                    freebasic is another language i'd point out to a newbie, even if it is
                    not as multiplatform as python if. it has a decent community and a large
                    amount of libraries. it doesn't let you explore functional or, worse,
                    object oriented programming nor you can write server side programs with it.
                    The others are examples of easy "hello world" languages, but, passed
                    that, i think they don't have the same capabilities of python on terms
                    of support, kind of programs you can write and even overall complexity
                    (haskell forces you to functional programming, io is really a minor
                    language, ocalm forces you to di OOP and, if writing hello world is
                    simple, on the other hand ir may have lines of code that read like:

                    | [] -[]

                    and that negatively compesate the easy way you can write "hello world"
                    OCaml::
                    >
                    print_string "Hello World!" ;;
                    >
                    Io::
                    >
                    "Hello World!" linePrint
                    >
                    Haskell::
                    >
                    main = putStrLn "Hello World!"
                    >
                    Ciao,
                    Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch

                    Comment

                    • Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch

                      #11
                      Re: Newbie to python --- why should i learn !

                      On Thu, 08 May 2008 15:49:01 +0200, pistacchio wrote:
                      Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch ha scritto:
                      >On Thu, 08 May 2008 04:17:01 -0700, s0suk3 wrote:
                      >>
                      >>Are you a newbie to Python, or to programming in general? I'll assume
                      >>you are a newbie to programming in general because of that last
                      >>question you asked. Things in Python are easier than in almost any
                      >>other programming language. Here are three Hello World programs:
                      >>
                      >Counterexample s for quite short "greetings" in other programming languages:
                      >>
                      >(Free)BASIC: :
                      >>
                      > Print "Hello World!"
                      >
                      freebasic is another language i'd point out to a newbie, even if it is
                      not as multiplatform as python if. it has a decent community and a large
                      amount of libraries. it doesn't let you explore functional or, worse,
                      object oriented programming nor you can write server side programs with
                      it.
                      OOP support is under development and why can't you write "server side
                      programs" in it? CGI is possible.
                      The others are examples of easy "hello world" languages, but, passed
                      that, i think they don't have the same capabilities of python on terms
                      of support, kind of programs you can write and even overall complexity
                      (haskell forces you to functional programming, io is really a minor
                      language, ocalm forces you to di OOP and, if writing hello world is
                      simple, on the other hand ir may have lines of code that read like:
                      >
                      | [] -[]
                      Okay, Haskell's pure functional approach feels somewhat "weird".

                      Io is a minor language but a quite nice one IMHO. Simple syntax and
                      relatively simple semantics but very powerful.

                      OCaml doesn't enforce OOP. It's some kind of "mirror" of Python. Python
                      is an OOP language with support for functional programming, and OCaml is a
                      functional language with support for OOP.

                      The biggest pro for Python among the easy and clear syntax languages is
                      the standard library and the amount of third party modules.

                      Ciao,
                      Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch

                      Comment

                      • Gary Herron

                        #12
                        Re: Newbie to python --- why should i learn !

                        Raxit@MyKavita. com wrote:
                        Hi,
                        >
                        i was reading/learning some hello world program in python.
                        I think its very simillar to Java/C++/C#. What's different (except
                        syntax) ?
                        >
                        what can i do easily with python which is not easy in c++/java !?
                        >
                        With Python, you can program with a smile on your face.

                        (Truly, when I found Python, programming became fun again.)

                        Gary Herron

                        Comment

                        • Arnaud Delobelle

                          #13
                          Re: Newbie to python --- why should i learn !

                          pistacchio <pistacchio@gma il.comwrites:
                          ocalm forces you to di OOP
                          Ocaml *allows* you to do OOP. It's very much an optional feature of
                          the language, just like for Python.

                          --
                          Arnaud

                          Comment

                          • Bruno Desthuilliers

                            #14
                            Re: Newbie to python --- why should i learn !

                            pistacchio a écrit :
                            (snip)
                            Technically speaking, it (Python) is not, for example, strongly
                            typed,
                            You're confusing "strong" typing with static typing. Somewhat orthogonal
                            issues.

                            Comment

                            • hdante

                              #15
                              Re: Newbie to python --- why should i learn !

                              On May 8, 7:25 am, "Ra...@MyKavita .com" <raxitsheth2... @gmail.com>
                              wrote:
                              Hi,
                              >
                              i was reading/learning some hello world program in python.
                              I think its very simillar to Java/C++/C#. What's different (except
                              syntax) ?
                              All the languages have similar "power", in a theoretical sense. If
                              you can solve a problem with one, most of the time you'll be able to
                              solve it with the other. So we could say that the languages are
                              "equal".

                              However, in practice, the syntax matters a lot. For example, they
                              will influence on the maintainability and the performance of your
                              application.
                              >
                              what can i do easily with python which is not easy in c++/java !?
                              Pretty much everything. Python syntax is minimalist, so it requires
                              much less code. There are many examples in Wikipedia, for example:





                              etc.
                              >
                              Tnx,
                              Raxitwww.mykavi ta.com

                              Comment

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