[Python-talk] Python advocacy help

[Bill Sconce]

On Thu, 05 Oct 2006 07:37:21 -0400
Cole Tuininga <colet at code-energy.com> wrote:

> At my day job, we're getting ready to begin work on a large new project.
> Our development group's core competency at this point is in perl, but
> nothing is completely off the table.
> 
> I'm in the process of making the argument that, even with the lead time
> to learn Python (I'm the only member of the group with Python
> experience) that it would be a more productive and preferable language.
> 
> Anybody have some favorite advocacy site/data/whatever that I could use
> to help my cause?  Things that specifically compare perl and Python are
> the most helpful, but any Python advocacy info is great.



Hi, Cole --

Lots.

Hackers and Painters, by Paul Graham, is a whole book.  Much of Graham's
main point is that language does matter, and the features he makes the
case for are largely Pythonic.  (Actually, he's a Lisp bigot, but the
FEATURES he recommends apply to Python just as well.)

There are the usual gang of suspects, er, references, too.  Such as the
fact that Google uses Python as the #2 language (and the #1 language
for glue/deployment/release engineering).  Your bosses have probably
heard of Google, which was a start-up a couple of years ago.  (In fact,
Google believes in Python so strongly that they pay the salaries of
a few guys, including one named Guido, and one named Alex,...)

There's plenty of material out there.  Maybe other list members will
have some other favorites.  Good luck to you!

-Bill