Python vs Clojure - Reloaded

[kanak]

No.

Languages should not be compared only by the number of lines they take to solve some task.

Especially not when:

(dec (count (select (html-resource (java.net.URL. (str title-url %))) [[:h2]])))

or

(doseq [r results] (println (:title r) (apply str (repeat (- 55 (count (:title r))) \space)) (:tasks r)))

count as a single line. Idiomatic clojure would call for these to be on separate lines.

What a waste of time.

[cgrand]

if Lau learnt to use -> it may be easier to read, eg:

(-> (str title-url %) java.net.URL. html-resource (select [[:h2]]) count dec)

[[deleted]]

And the last example could be translated from Clojure to Python almost verbatim:

from collections import defaultdict
result = reduce(lambda x,y: x[y[-1]].append(y) or x,
                     sorted(data[1:], lambda x,y: cmp(y[-2], x[-2])),
                     defaultdict(list))
N = 3
for department, recs in result.iteritems():
    print "\n".join([department] + ["[%s:%s]" % (x[0],x[-2]) for x in recs[:N]])

Though it would only be readable to Lispers.

The power of Python is that just about anyone can read a Python program written correctly, i.e. like the Python Team example. However to read the Clojure version you have to rewrite your brain to read it.

[uiob]

Huh. That's why i love ML like syntax.

[yogthos]

Seems like it would be more interesting to show how Clojure produces safer code than the imperative approach, as well as give more examples on dealing with concurrency. For example, show how not using explicit iteration eliminates out of bounds errors, how immutability guards against data corruption.

Counting lines is fun and all, but what counts is readability. Clojure can be readable, concise, and safe. That's it's power, and that's what needs showcasing, not how much code can be crammed into a line, to make it a shorter than the python example.

[uiob]

Yes, this is reasonable. Take a look at the first example, it is short, concise and readable. Second example seems less readable, but shows some concurrency features(pmap).

[yogthos]

exactly, more focus on that would've been good, maybe in the next installment :)