[NCLUG] Looking at programming languages...

[Sean Reifschneider]

On Wed, Jan 16, 2008 at 05:00:39PM -0700, Michael Milligan wrote:
> My biggest problem with Python was the rigid indent style forced upon me, 

I anticipated having a problem with the indentation, but when I started
writing Python I found that I didn't have to adjust my indentation style at
all what I was using in C.  What I did find was that it was impossible to
make mistakes like I'd made in the past:

   if (condition)
      if (othercondition) code();
   #oops, need an else here so during maintenance I add:
   else someothercode();

In C the else goes with the othercondition else.  In Python, it looks at
the indentation and does what I had intended.  Of course, you can
compensate for this by always adding braces in languages that use them.
That's the habit I've been using since I got bitten by the above back in
the <gasp> '80s.

So, if your biggest problem with Python is the enforced indentation, then
either:

   You're blessed to have so few problems.

or:

   You really need to obtain the habit of a good indentation style.

Sean
-- 
 "If you're really us, what UDP port do you use?"  "TFTP, dudes!"
                 -- Scott Kleihege, 2005
Sean Reifschneider, Member of Technical Staff <jafo at tummy.com>
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