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Learn Core Python in a Week – My Way

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Re: Learn Core Python in a Week – My Way

#21

Post by sp332 »

dimmuborgir wrote: post #10
true_religion wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ruby and Python are very very close. When I initially chose Python to me it was a like a choice between chocolate ice cream and raspberry---one can't really critique something so subjective. However as time has passed by and I have become competent at Python, I see some clear wins for Python where Ruby lags: 1. Machine Learning with PyML, et al. Python has some of the best tools for scientific programming by far. 2.…

All fair points. I was talking about opinionated/troll/FUD blog posts.

Ah, then I think you shouldn't have used the term pythonista because this refers to serious Python people, not trolls.

Re: Learn Core Python in a Week – My Way

#22

Post by mikeocool »

Stop debating whether Ruby or Python is better and learn both. They're both great languages and they're super similar, so once you've used an in-depth technique like the one outlined in the article to learn one, you can learn the other super easily in a lot less time.

If you know both, you can make an informed decision and choose the right tool. Even if you're using Django to write your webapp, you'll be able to use Chef for configuration management. If you're about to embark on writing a new project, you can choose the language that has the most mature libraries for your problem domain.

You also won't have to rely on all of the apparently subjective things people say in comment threads about which language is better when choosing one.

While you're at stop saying how bad C/C++/Java/Scheme/PHP/javascript/haskell/C#/Cobol and learn those too (ok, maybe not Cobol).

Remember a few years ago when everyone was all hating on javascript? Now, all of sudden it's the awesome lingua franca of programmers and the language hasn't changed a bit. The perception changed because some smart people learned its strengths and wrote good libraries and runtimes based on those.

Re: Learn Core Python in a Week – My Way

#23

Post by Troll_Whisperer »

espeed wrote: post #15
dimmuborgir wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

* Subjective * Subjective * False: http://modulecounts.com * Some American universities. * Agreed. * Statistics please.

Here are the Indeed job trends showing Python vs Ruby: http://www.indeed.com/jobanalytics/jobtrends?q=python%2C+rub...

As a relative newb, who got his first real experience with AS3 (flash games), I've put some serious thought into this issue. I've seen that job chart come up a number of times, and it's true that python is bigger now. But clicking on relative gives a startlingly opposite picture:

http://www.indeed.com/jobtrends?q=python%2C+ruby&l=&...

For now, since I've gotten a programming job (yay!) at an iOS shop, I've gotta work on Obj. C. But when the time comes to really get good at a higher level language, it's hard to say which way I'll go.

Re: Learn Core Python in a Week – My Way

#24

Post by myegorov »

sukhbir wrote: post #14

I really wonder why no one mentions the official Python tutorial ( http://docs.python.org/tutorial/ ). That is by far, the most concise and easiest to understand Python tutorial I have ever come across. For those who run after multiple sources and 400 pages books, give the official tutorial a read. You will not even feel at looking at another Python introductory book again. I speak from personal experience and based…

...is the tutorial any shorter than 400 page books?

Re: Learn Core Python in a Week – My Way

#25

Post by zedshaw »

dimmuborgir wrote: post #6

The problem with Python community is, when comparing Python with Ruby, Pythonistas give almost no objective reasons to prefer Python but give many highly subjective (provoking) opinions, like the following: 1. Zen of Python. (since Ruby doesn't adhere to it, it's bad) 2. Python community is less arrogant compared to Ruby community. (painting millions of Ruby programmers with the same brush based on an IRC chat they h…

I tell people to learn both, and I fucking hate Ruby. It's the way of the industry right now that if you want to easily get a job, you know Ruby and Python. I also think Ruby is slowly going away and Python is taking its place, but we could debate that forever and a day.

Re: Learn Core Python in a Week – My Way

#26

Post by sukhbir »

myegorov wrote: post #24
sukhbir wrote: post #14

I really wonder why no one mentions the official Python tutorial ( http://docs.python.org/tutorial/ ). That is by far, the most concise and easiest to understand Python tutorial I have ever come across. For those who run after multiple sources and 400 pages books, give the official tutorial a read. You will not even feel at looking at another Python introductory book again. I speak from personal experience and based…

...is the tutorial any shorter than 400 page books?

With the tutorial, you just need to read till Chapter 9 as the continuing chapters handle the stdlib which serves more of a reference once you know the language. Point being, you start writing Python with the official tutorial much earlier as compared to any introductory book because the tutorial teaches you what you _just_ what you need to know.

Re: Learn Core Python in a Week – My Way

#27

Post by Bootvis »

zedshaw wrote: post #25
dimmuborgir wrote: post #6

The problem with Python community is, when comparing Python with Ruby, Pythonistas give almost no objective reasons to prefer Python but give many highly subjective (provoking) opinions, like the following: 1. Zen of Python. (since Ruby doesn't adhere to it, it's bad) 2. Python community is less arrogant compared to Ruby community. (painting millions of Ruby programmers with the same brush based on an IRC chat they h…

I tell people to learn both, and I fucking hate Ruby. It's the way of the industry right now that if you want to easily get a job, you know Ruby and Python. I also think Ruby is slowly going away and Python is taking its place, but we could debate that forever and a day.

Isn't that a bit strong, in the project you mention in this talk: http://vimeo.com/2723800 Ruby was used (with success). What's to hate?

Re: Learn Core Python in a Week – My Way

#28

Post by dpritchett »

Troll_Whisperer wrote: post #23
espeed wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here are the Indeed job trends showing Python vs Ruby: http://www.indeed.com/jobanalytics/jobtrends?q=python%2C+rub...

As a relative newb, who got his first real experience with AS3 (flash games), I've put some serious thought into this issue. I've seen that job chart come up a number of times, and it's true that python is bigger now. But clicking on relative gives a startlingly opposite picture: http://www.indeed.com/jobtrends?q=python%2C+ruby&l=&... For now, since I've gotten a programming job (yay!) at an iOS shop, I've gotta work…

I've also noticed that python listings on Indeed.com are often optional automation skills for sysadmin or build coordinator jobs rather than pure programming. These are valid jobs but hardly comparable to the dev jobs listed for other languages e.g. "Ruby Developer".
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