On Mon, 24 Jul 2000, Jim wrote:

> Python is easier to deal with if you have a fundamental understanding of
> object oriented programming.  It is based on OOP.  Perl, on the other
> hand, is based on the need to extract data and create reports.  I guess
> the same statements can be made about C++ vs C.
> 
> The bottom line is that the concepts of objects, inheritance,
> polymorphism, etc. are a bit much for a newbie to deal with unless that
> newbie builds his programming foundation on the OOP concepts.  Absent that
> effort to understand OOP, Perl and/or C are much easier to begin
> programming with.
> 

Of course, you don't HAVE to use OOP to use Python.  In fact, most of the
Python scripts I hack together don't use any of Python's OOP abilities.
OOP is totally optional.  I started programming with C, then went to
Python, then went to C++, then went to Bash, and now I'm trying to learn
Perl.  I'd have to say that I use Python about 95% of the time.  It does
everything, and it's also the easiest to use (save maybe Bash).

> These, of course, are just my opinions.
> 
> On Mon, 24 Jul 2000, you
> wrote: > Python is probably supported stronger than what you might need it
> to be. I'd > recommend Python to start with, especially for a newbie, and
> then step up to > the plate w/perl.  >  > ... > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Don Harrop [mailto:don@nis4u.com]
> > > Sent: Monday, July 24, 2000 12:40 PM
> > > To: plug-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us
> > > Subject: to code or not to code?
> > > 
> > > 
> > > I was wondering if I could get some feedback on some 
> > > scripting / programming
> > > languages to jump into for a newbie coder.  Perl seems like a 
> > > good choice
> > > because everybody has it and there's tons of support.  You 
> > > can either use it
> > > for web page development or linux admin stuff.  I don't know 
> > > if you can
> > > compile it to a single exacutable under DOS/WIN stuff though. 
> > >  That would be
> > > cool.  I've listened to a few people on the list talk about 
> > > python and it
> > > sounds good but it doesn't seem to have the same amount of 
> > > support as Perl
> > > does.  C++ would be cool but I don't want to have to compile 
> > > everything
> > > before I can run it.  It might be overkill for a newbie.  :-) 
> > >  Links on
> > > where to go to learn the code would be nice too...
> > > 
> > > Don
> > > 
> > > 
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Plug-discuss mailing list  -  Plug-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us
> > > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
> > > 
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
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> -- 
> Jim
> 
> Zope is cool!
> 
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> 
> 

--

Nathan Saper
natedog@well.com
nsaper@sprintpcs.com (cell phone)
http://www.well.com/user/natedog/