Letter from my boss

[Brian Densmore]

> When I began to look for a programming environment that would 
> solve our
> cross-platform issue, allow for rapid development and be cost 
> effective
> I looked at several different options: Perl, PHP, Python, VB, C#, C,
> C++, Visual C, Java, Kylix/Delphi and FoxPro.
> 
> ... I could eliminate a couple (namely MS based) of options right 
> off the bat:
> VB, FoxPro and C#.
> 
> Seeing that PHP ... it did not seem like a good
>
> application environment ...
> ... The complexity
> of C (and its variants), ...
>
> Clarity and brevity is not the strong suit of Perl, ...
> 
> The choice came down to Java and Python. One of Java's 
> downfalls was the ...
>
> Python could use wxPython, tkinter, pyGTK to be able to easily choose
> the GUI appearance. Agreed that wxPython is really the best cross
> platform solution for GUI development with Python - but the point is
> there are other options other than the standard Java interface. Java
> also has a pretty mean acclamation period, remember we are talking VB
> programmers that have been diluted into thinking VB apps is 
> programming.
Not to bicker, but VB may be considered a toy programming language, but
it
can be used to build sophisticated and complex programs. Yes, it is a
programming 
language. No it doesn't have the power of C. Yes it has a lots of
problems. So
does COBOL, and no one calls it "not real programming".
> 
So what was wrong with Kylix/Delphi? It should be a very simple
transform
from a VB to Delphi work environment (not codewise; just look and feel,
etc.). 
Albeit costly on the M$ O$ side.
Or perhaps an integrated solution of Kylix/Delphi and Python. 

After all VB does actually compile now and can run 
quite fast when efficiently coded.

Just curious,
Brian

> Python fit the bill for all of our needs:
> 	* RAD
>  	* Having unquestionable clarity (no Brackets or Squiggles, Yea!)
> 	* Brief in syntax 
> 	* Cross platform (there are currently 13 platforms for Python)
> 	* Complete open source (no corporation driving the train)
> 	* Large Module library available (why re-invent the wheel?)
> 	* Quick learning (within several hours I was coding in Python)
> 
> The point that Python has issues is unquestionable, IMHO they are:
> 	* No native compilation (byte code then interpreted)
> 	* Perceived as a "scripting" language (versus an application)
> 	* Stupid looking logo (www.python.org)
>