Ask HN: Is Python dying?

Post by osullivj » Mon, Feb 15, 2016, 3:33 PM UTC

dodders wrote: post #222

Alex3917 wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually that's probably not accurate now that I think about it. Python is mostly used by quants and people figuring out what trades to make, as well as for some of the internal business tools. Whereas the people building the actual exchanges are probably using Java or C++.

"Finance" is such a broad term with respect to IT - you'll find anything if you look hard enough. The following is based on my experience only - I'm sure there will be lots on here with different experiences: * I've seen more C++/Java/C# than anything else, with a large legacy base of COBOL/RPG (yes, GMI, we're looking at you...). * Industrial-grade quant libs (for risk, P&L, models that need regulatory approval) ten…

Post by pmarreck » Mon, Feb 15, 2016, 3:50 PM UTC

pjmlp wrote: post #262

pmarreck wrote: post #257

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Object-oriented languages are Dead Men Walking due to the problem of global mutable state management in any medium- to large-sized codebase, coupled with dependency/inheritance hell, leading to complexity hell, leading to geometric progression of tech debt. Compounding this is the lack of good unit test suites across the board, meaning that even if you write absolutely perfectly tested and maintainable Python (or Rub…

You mean all those FP languages that happen to support OOP as well? Lisp, Clojure - CLOS OCaml - The O is for Objective, e.g. Objects Scala, F# - Hybrid FP/OOP Haskell - Type classes support polymorphism and extensibility. Erlang - Message passing as envisioned by Smalltalk So what are FP languages that have zero support for OOP concepts and are on the rise?

Post by balamaci » Mon, Feb 15, 2016, 4:03 PM UTC

15155 wrote: post #310

balamaci wrote: post #272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah they will still probably be labeled as dead man walking for the next 20 years long after your FP langue de jour will have outlasted it's pristine days and got damned to hell by the devs having to maintain the programs written in it. Don't get me wrong if you are currently doing consultancy business for a niche FP language far for me to blow the wistle to companies that instead of paying your fees and hefty salar…

If you're working a problem capable of being solved by two $10/mo DO VMs, you're working a problem that can be solved in /any/ language.

Post by csense » Mon, Feb 15, 2016, 4:09 PM UTC

monster2control wrote: post #255

I've only been using Python for 2 months now. I'm coming from a Ruby, Java, Node background. The things I don't understand about Python and what I miss the most from those other languages is a solid tool chain. From package management down to the test runners. I miss Ruby gems, Bundler, Rack, and Gaurd tools. I miss Maven and the plethora of plugins. I miss NPM. Pip is just OK. It feels like it's missing something. C…

    def fizz_buzz(number):
        if number%3 == 0:
            return "fizz"
        if number%5 == 0:
            return "buzz"
        return str(number)

    for num in range(1,101):
        print(fizz_buzz(num))

Post by zimpenfish » Mon, Feb 15, 2016, 4:27 PM UTC

csense wrote: post #318

monster2control wrote: post #255

I've only been using Python for 2 months now. I'm coming from a Ruby, Java, Node background. The things I don't understand about Python and what I miss the most from those other languages is a solid tool chain. From package management down to the test runners. I miss Ruby gems, Bundler, Rack, and Gaurd tools. I miss Maven and the plethora of plugins. I miss NPM. Pip is just OK. It feels like it's missing something. C…

> Ruby allows for nicer looking code and readability Have you ever actually used Ruby? Here's what FizzBuzz looks like in Python: def fizz_buzz(number): if number%3 == 0: return "fizz" if number%5 == 0: return "buzz" return str(number) for num in range(1,101): print(fizz_buzz(num)) Compare that to the hideous mess of fizz buzz in Ruby [1] -- there's a lot of magic going on there. Many unfamiliar operators, line #2 is…

  def fizz_buzz(number)                                                                                       
    if number%3 == 0 then                                                                                     
        return "fizz"                                                                                         
    end                                                                                                       
    if number%5 == 0 then                                                                                     
        return "buzz"                                                                                         
    end                                                                                                       
    return number                                                                                             
  end                                                                                                         
                                                                                                              
  for num in 1.upto(100) do                                                                                   
    puts(fizz_buzz(num))                                                                                      
  end