Guido van Rossum
Guido van Rossum
Guido van Rossumis a Dutch programmer who is best known as the author of the Python programming language. In the Python community, Van Rossum is known as a "Benevolent Dictator For Life", meaning that he continues to oversee the Python development process, making decisions where necessary. He was employed by Google from 2005 until 7 December 2012, where he spent half his time developing the Python language. In January 2013, Van Rossum started working for Dropbox...
NationalityDutch
ProfessionScientist
Guido van Rossum quotes about
python details java
Now, it's my belief that Python is a lot easier than to teach to students programming and teach them C or C++ or Java at the same time because all the details of the languages are so much harder. Other scripting languages really don't work very well there either.
python support get-better
Modern programs must handle Unicode —Python has excellent support for Unicode, and will keep getting better.
dutch-scientist language places users
Invariably, you'll find that if the language is any good, your users are going to take it to places where you never thought it would be taken.
mistake should-have data
It's easy to make mistakes that only come out much later, after you've already implemented a lot of code. You'll realize Oh I should have used a different type of data structure. Start over from scratch.
conceived dutch-scientist independence key platform start tied
I think the real key to Python's platform independence is that it was conceived right from the start as only very loosely tied to Unix.
simple bugs causes
There is an incredibly large spectrum of possible causes for program bugs, including simple typos, "thinkos," hidden limitations of underlying abstractions, and outright bugs in abstractions or their implementation.
hate learning guarantees-that
Don't you hate code that's not properly indented? Making it [indenting] part of the syntax guarantees that all code is properly indented.
python focus example
In my daily work, I work on very large, complex, distributed systems built out of many Python modules and packages. The focus is very similar to what you find, for example, in Java and, in general, in systems programming languages.
independent python java
Mark Hammond is working in this area, with Windows Scripting Host. It is definitely an area where Python fits almost perfectly. That's quite independent from Java, actually.
design pitfalls language
If you decide to design your own language, there are thousands of sort of amateur language designer pitfalls.
decision special purpose
I would guess that the decision to create a small special purpose language or use an existing general purpose language is one of the toughest decisions that anyone facing the need for a new language must make.
python people advice
My own perception of that is somewhat colored by where people ask my advice, which is still, of course, about changes to Python internals or at least standard libraries.