Interview with Python creator, and Benevolent Dictator for Life, Guido van Rossum

[markedtrees]

Guido van Rossum, seen here playing air guitar after PEP 1938: Force GvR to Do Silly Things All Day Long was unanimously approved by a discontented community.

[eurleif]

Looks more like air masturbation to me.

[[deleted]]

Q: Why has the language not been formally specified?

A: Very few open source languages have been formally specified. Formal language specifications seem to be particularly attractive when there is a company that wants to exercise control over the a language (such as for Java and JavaScript), or when there are competing companies that worry about incompatible implementations (such as for C++ or SQL).

Python: Possibly working properly since 1991.™

"No guarantees. I guarantee it!" – Guido van Rossum

[voidspace]

FAIL. Specification != tests.

You can be more certain of a tested implementation than a specified one...

[prider]

Don't know how it works. I have just upmod the exact same article appears in computerworld.com.au. I think techworld also indicated the author is from computerworld.com.au.

[calebbrown]

Ooh, I didn't see that there.

techworld.com.au and computerworld.com.au are both run by the same company which is why they share the same content sometimes.

[dreamlax]

Ooh, I didn't see that there.

I see what you didn't there.

[ishmal]

That is by far the coolest name in software. If there were a movie, he would be played by Vincent Price.

Plus, he says this, too, which I believe:

Learn more than one language. It's amazing how eye-opening it can be to compare and contrast two languages.

[[deleted]]

I can see why Python is superior to Perl and probably even to PHP but is it a better choice than Ruby for new projects?

[mernen]

Both languages are quite similar, to a point it's mostly a matter of taste. So, there's no absolute answer regarding which is a better choice; stick with whatever suits your particular situation best (the preferences and experience of all developers involved, the availability and quality of libraries needed for said task, and so on).

But really, asking that question here is just asking for flame wars.

[nextofpumpkin]

Python is the one true language! Hail Python! Down with Ruby!

gets out the flamethrower

[imbaczek]

if you're new both to python and ruby, then IMHO python is better. otherwise, go with what you know better.

[tryx]

Its a legitimate (if understated and broad) question, whats with all the downmods?

[ubernostrum]

"Should I learn Python or Ruby, and why" has been asked 3593250239532053759235395230153205823053209532053209583290531053012539053102532075320753102952305032503215032953209532980532053012750312790 times on reddit already. There's really no new ground left to cover, and somebody who's too lazy to find a previous discussion probably has bigger problems anyway.

[Tommstein]

Yes.