John Yeung <gallium.arsen...@gmail.com> writes: > A couple of others have already mentioned the Zen of Python, available > at the Python command prompt. I would agree with that, but also add > the caveat that none of the principles expressed there are hard-and- > fast rules.
Indeed, I'd suggest that the very lack of hard-and-fast rules is typical of the Python approach. > The fact is, it's impossible to satisfy every principle in every > situation. To me, Python distinguishes itself for how well it > balances all of them. "Compromise" is a word that comes up a lot when > talking about the design of Python. To some, that has a negative > connotation; to me, it's an inevitable consequence of being practical. Agreed. Then again, all language design is a compromise, between factors like runtime efficiency, simplicity of implementation, tractability of semantics (for various classes of users), supportability by tools, and expressive power. Python inhabits what seems to me to be a particularly sweet spot on this rather complex landscape. -- [mdw] -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
