The Wonders of Python
I recently wrote a little code generator in Python that takes in a schema file in XML format and expands out specially marked up tags inside C++ code. It was my first real industrial strength use of Python and (for this C++ veteran at least) I was amazed at how much I could accomplish in just 300 lines of code. In particular I liked:
- Not having to compile!
- List comprehensions
- String slicing and dicing
- Returning multiple arguments from a function
- Some really nice constructs:
Dynamic typing sometimes feels like a free for all, but I’ll gladly pay that price for the many powerful features it enables. I sure am writing “self” a lot though 🙂
I think the real epiphany moment was realising that there is essentially no real complexity inherent in the language – this is very liberating compared to C++ where you have to constantly steer clear of C++’s many dark corners (about which entire books have been written, e.g. C++ Gotchas by Stephen Dewhurst). Programming really does become less of a struggle.
A somewhat tangential link musing over Python vs C++ in the context of unit testing is this blog post, which describes approaching building a Sudoku solver. Those interested in the Sudoku-solving ability of Python should also be sure to check out this impressive presentation on AI, puzzles, and the use of ‘itertools’ in Python.
Hello,
There is also an interesting game site at http://www.domo-sudoku.com if Python programming is not your cup of tea.
Cheers
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