Re: Advocacy opportunity

Cameron Laird wrote:
> I've been advised that
> <URL: http://www.smallscript.com/Language%20Comparison%20Chart.asp >
> is open to correction in its Python column.  Who wants to tackle
> this?  Python certainly supports interaction, we have plenty to boast
> about in regard to foreign functions, we offer GUIs in abundance, ...
> 
> They seem rather liberal.  If Python supports private methods and 
> variables (and JavaScript does native threads!?!) (but somebody seems
> to have it in for C++), we might as well argue it gives root classes,
> too.
> 
> I think if I had friends who were salesmen, they'd advise me, "You
> just mark, 'Yes', everywhere, and deal with it if someone argues."

I sent a message suggesting that they add a row/topic for array syntax.  This is 
a feature often neglected by language designers.  The primary reason that I 
continue to use Python is that it allows FORTRAN-style array syntax for 
scientific programming with Numeric/numarray.  PERL, Ruby, Tcl, etc. have 
C-style syntax, which is both cumbersome and inefficient to use.

-- 
Paul Barrett, PhD      Space Telescope Science Institute
Phone: 410-338-4475    ESS/Science Software Branch
FAX:   410-338-4767    Baltimore, MD 21218