Python: "Easy for programmers and non-programmers to learn, read, and use."
Hmm where have we seen this before? Pascal? (also consider Qompute Script)
Python is written in C, though. PascalScript on the otherhand, would be written in Pascal. Qompute script would also be written in Qompute, not Cee.
From this we can conclude: Not only pascalscript or qomputescript would be easy to maintain, read, and use, but the actual code that runs the interpretter engine and daemons would be easy to maintain, read, and use. Do you see the light?
In fact, one of the Python problems is similar to Visual Basic, or other languages, who have their compilers written in not itself (and Delphi compiler, written in C++). Why so? A true language should be smart enough to recursively compile itself.
The freepascal compiler compiles itself. The PascalScript engine and daemon should be compiled from Pascal! It just makes sense. And it can be. Python should be compiled by Python. PHP should be compiled by PHP.
The advantage of compiling something in itself, is that you waste less time managing multiple languages. The advantage of using PascalScript and Pascal along side each other, is that you waste less time managing multiple languages. The advantage of writing Python in C or Visual Basic in C is what? The advantage of using Python for one job, perl for another job, PHP for another job, C++ for another job, Java for another job, is what?
You end up having to maintain the interpretter too. It's not like the interpretter is written once only and unmaintained for years to come.
Since Pascal is already readable as it is, this means several advantages for programmers considering PascalScript (or even users who just use compiled Pascal):
-There is no need to constantly convert code from one language to another. Python
programmers will have to convert their C code to Python (or rewrite it). i.e. if
you are working on an offline software project in C or C++, and your online web work
is in Python, there's no way you can utilize the code between the two projects. Okay
you maybe can write C plug ins but why write C plugins for Pythong if you are
writing Python? Should you write Python in Python? I always find it funny when
someone has to extend Ruby with Cee or extend Python with Cee. That must suck.
Code reuse is cut off. You end up reinventing the wheel in both languages, just
by different syntaxes.
-Python is not maintainable in python, so python programmers can't even maintain the
python language unless they know C. But since C is unmaintainable (a matter of
opinion.. otherwise, why wouldn't python programmers use "C script")
-Cutting and copying some code from a pascal unit file into a pascal script file is
possible. Cutting and copying Cee code into a Python script is not possible.
-With all this said, who knows, maybe there will be Python compilers in the future
that can compile Python. Then it will just be a matter of taste (and of course other
things, such as Pascal having a long experienced history, and Python being more new
and trendy, etc.).
Quote:
"There are no such languages. It's pretty stupid to get hooked into this
language war. Python loses to C every time if you only consider speed. C
loses to Python if you only consider ease of use. These languages are
fit in certain areas in others they are just wrong."
Hmmm...Pascal is fast, and has the ease of use advantage. The above quote makes one think that ease of use cannot be mixed with speed. Wrong.
PascalScript and QomputeScript need to be demonstrated more. Some people feel we just don't need pascalscript or qomputescrpt because we have compilers already. But there is always a time where a compiler user uses a script: bash scripts, command line, web scripts, etc. Therefore, there is need for PascalScript or QomputeScript, no matter how much you deny it.
Compiler advocates love to avoid scripting since they see advantages in compiling, but look at all those compiler advocates who use PHP/Perl/Python to run their websites? Look at all those compiler advocates who use bash shell scripts? So instead of using a bash shell script, or instead of using perl, or instead of using php to build a website, we could use pascal script. It would unify our pascal knowledge. No need to handle multiple languages.
Or there are other tricks to discover such as source files that act like scripts but are actually binaries that are compiled each time you change the file only. This has been discussed extensively on the Powtils mailing lists actually.. and it is possible. It is kind of like JIT (just in time) but better in many ways.
Scripting is used in game development and web development, because quick modification of game levels or locations and scenes are needed. Larger or medium-small programs should be compiled and distributed, yes, but there is a need for scripting.
Without the interpreter, we have no command line! The command line is an interpreter itself, remember. You can't compile everything.
Templates are scripts! Web templates that use $macro vars.
INI files and CONFIG files are just little scripts. They are interpreted.
This, coming from a person who likes compilers more than interpreters. I'm just being honest and bringing out the advantages of PascalScript.
Consider also a version of Qompute Script in the future to come.
|
