Hi Python's barrier-to-entry is the lowest of all the languages under discussion (in terms of time to learn it).
It is easier to enforce good coding style because much of it is already integrated with the language... e.g. indented control structures & loops. Optimizing-python-with-calling-other-languages-or-cython even has arguably a lower barrier-to-entry than the other languages under discussion. Prototyping is much faster in python. So often 'runtime' debates do not have a holistic comprehensive view of scientific computation. Include prototyping time and coding and polishing and maintenance time, and both the time and cost in $$ is much lest. Some applications are maintained over years and many postgrad slaves^H^H^H^H students. A research group can train a new member in python code quickly. The python community is huge, skills are available, and often the needs are not in the core science algorithm which is well looked after, but in the glue and interface, which requires a less in-depth understanding of the science than the core algorithm. It allows non-niche programmers to assist more easily than... FORTRAN. I guess you can tell which side of the fence I am currently on ;) Regards, Jan -- .~. /V\ Jan Groenewald /( )\ www.aims.ac.za ^^-^^ -- To post to this group, send an email to sage-devel@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to sage-devel+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/sage-devel URL: http://www.sagemath.org
