Programming Pauls of Wisdom

yet another static typing comment

Static typing is becoming a bit of an issue in python

This is becoming a problem on two fronts

1. should a language support some new (perhaps improved) functionality
2. should a language that is gather big public support go ahead and change
and possibly alienate the new users

The first problem is (intended) to be solved through an optional get out clause
If you do not want your code to be static typed then don't flip the switch. Which to me seems to solve the whole problem.

However my (skim) readings of the discussion seem to point to the main problem being the second.
I did not pick this up until I saw http://www.perl.com/pub/a/2000/12/advocacy.html by Mark-janus Dominous

He says that the perl advocacy of a few years ago was causing problems. That people were becoming polarised over whether and language was good or bad, not whether the language functions were appropriate, usuable, efficient, restricting or otherwise.

Python it appears is following Perl. And its not a technical issue. Its simply that the python community is now so large it is attracting followers by sheer gravitational attraction. In other words, I guess that more people are using Python now not because it solves a particular itch of theirs (an informed choice) but because they have been told it is good and probably have not been prgoramming enough to have an itch.

I personally do not see a lot of use for optional static typing, but then I do not care
too much if my code can be heavily optimised (I have no scalable server based programs). Having said that if pyro works or this static typing gets easy I'll start optimising everything I can.

But I do not mind if Guido wants to improve his own language. Its his to play with, and
(unless we have a real claim on it like contributors such as Tim Peters) if i don't like it I can bugger off and write my own language. Or use Ruby.

So in essence, Python has become part of our identity, either through blind gravitational attraction or just regular use, and no-one likes someone else changing our identities for us.

(I also suspect that some of the more vociferous opponents have become used tot he idea they have influence on Pythons direction. Its a surprise when we discover we do not control what we thought we did.)

PS
this quote from the article rang a few bells
>>> Perl came into a world full of other tools and made a name for itself as a 'glue language' that can help a lot of other tools inter-operate
Python now appears to be in the same "glue language" label that perl was at the time of the articles.
It will be interesting to see whcich new language is touted as the Python replacement in 4 years.
And whether we shall realise that, as above, these languages do not have to compete, but interoperate and make life easy for us to use.

posted by paul @ 5:28 PM