A few weeks ago, I realized that in order to expand my possibilities in the programming world, I need to master another language—one not built only for the web. PHP is a good language for the specific task of web programming, but its usefulness ends there. I do know that there are projects that aim to expand what PHP is capable of: PHP-GTK, PEAR, PELC. But these can only do so much. I need a language that I can do cross-platform programming of desktop applications, yet be flexible and is already extensively used (so that it’s worth my time to learn it).
After assessing my options, I’ve concluded Python is the language I need to master. On top of fulfilling all my requirements, Google uses it, and if it’s good enough for Google to use for applications that millions of people rely on every day, then it’s good enough for me. Besides that, it makes a great calculator in Windows.
I’ve looked at Python before, and it didn’t look too amazing. But now that I live in a different world and have a new perspective, Python is awesome. Some people frown on the forced indentation, lack of end-line symbols, and non-dollar-sign-prepended variables. After writing a few “hello world” programs, I believe these are not failures but perks. If you are among a team of people writing a massive application, these qualities might keep you on this side of sanity. However, the “batteries-included” philosophy of Python and its hyper-extendability really push it over the top.