Steven D'Aprano <ste...@remove.this.cybersource.com.au> writes: > On Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:11:49 -0600, John Bokma wrote: > >> Jonathan Gardner <jgard...@jonathangardner.net> writes: >> >>> I can explain, in an hour, every single feature of the Python language >>> to an experienced programmer, all the way up to metaclasses, >> >> Either you're a hell of a talker, or I am far, far away from being an >> experienced programmer. It's advocacy like this, IMO, that keeps people >> away from a language, because you can't feel nothing but a failure after >> a statement like this. > > Surely you're exaggerating?
No, because if I was I would've put a smiley there somewhere. I am learning Python, for a time to be honest. I can manage in the language quite well. I consider myself quite an experienced Perl programmer, I have no problems with the constructs Jonathan elsewhere in this thread claims to have problems with after 10 years of professional Perl programming. They come natural to me. But I don't see myself being able to understand every Python feature in a talk of an hour *with* the current understanding of Python I have (read halfway through Programming In Python 3, read selected chapters on decorators, etc.). > Without making any aspersions towards Jonathan either way, the Internet > is full of both blowhards and geniuses. Anyone who lets the off-the-cup > claims of either ruin their self-confidence is unlikely to be thinking > about learning Python, they're probably sitting alone in a dark room > staring as the walls close in. I am quite serious about learning Python, I do write professionally in it [1], but I am convinced that I need at least several months more of studying to feel comfortable with most (not even all) of Python. To me a much more relastic view on learning a programming language is: http://norvig.com/21-days.html [1] very small programs, and my customer is fully aware of that I am learning a new language but trust me, which is great. -- John Bokma j3b Hacking & Hiking in Mexico - http://johnbokma.com/ http://castleamber.com/ - Perl & Python Development -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
