Download - Python: The Programmer's Lingua Franca
Python: The Programmer’s Lingua Franca
Using Python to build bridges betweentechnologies, businesses and people
What we'll talk aboutWhat we'll talk about
• What is a lingua franca?• Why the industry needs one• Acmeism – the Ingy approach• Past and current examples: BASIC, C,
and Java• Why Python is better• TPSL: Teaching Python as a Second (or
third or fourth) Language• Getting past the barriers
What is a lingua franca?What is a lingua franca?
• The original “Lingua Franca” was an amalgam of languages– Made up of Italian, Arabic, French, Greek, Portuguese, Spanish and
Turkish. – Used in the Mediterranean during the Rennaissance
• English functions as the de facto modern lingua franca– For international business, aviation, science and technology
– Integrates words from other languages
• English doesn't fit the strict definition– It is often the mother tongue of at least one party...
– but this example is closer to what we'll talk about
“a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.”
-- Wikipedia
Why do we need one for Why do we need one for programming?programming?• So many languages
– more than 2500 in all (“The Language List” Bill Kinnersley)– if you just include popular ones, you still can't learn them
all• Programmers need a vehicle to express concepts to
one another• Programs need a vehicle to interact with one another
– open data formats– standard protocols– an API everyone can use
5%
14%
18%
37%
27%
Number of Languages in Organization
1 language2 languages3 languages4 or more languagesUnknown or no answer
What this audience reported:What this audience reported:
• Inventor of YAML• Leader in the Perl Community• 100+ CPAN modules• Several PyPI Modules• Old and New “Activator”• Acmeist• Currently travelling around Europe
Ingy döt Net Ingy döt Net
Acmeism Acmeism
• A different path to mutual comprehension• Ideas (modules) need to be shared across all
language boundaries• Build technology that is programming language
independent– YAML – data serialization for many programming
languages– C'Dent - Acmeist Module Language– Pegex - Acmeist Parser for creating new
languages– TestML - Acmeist Unit test language (like FIT)
Other programming lingua francas Other programming lingua francas
• BASIC– Used to be everywhere, code samples in math and science
textbooks– Many first generation micro-computer hackers started with this
language
• C– Widely used and part of most comp-sci programs– Most experienced programmers are familiar with it– Lower-level language
• Java– Extremely popular, cross-platform, also widely taught– Very verbose– Open source (GPL) only since 2007 (c.f. Apache Harmony)
14%
14%
13%43%
15%
Language Used to Describe Programming Ideas
CJavaPythonOtherNo answer
... used by this audience ... used by this audience
Why Python is betterWhy Python is better
• Free • Easy to read
– Syntax (specifically indentation) enforces sane visual block structure
– Concise, high-level interpreted language• Easy to learn
– Excellent documentation and tutorials– Numerous training resources
• Increasingly popular– Adopted by important organizations: Google, NASA, Disney,
Sony, SEC
ComparisonsComparisons
Which language is most readable and concise?
– Example code adapted from http://www.dmh2000.com/cjpr/– Using object oriented C++ instead of C to be more fair
C++ C++ #include <iostream>#include <sstream>#include <string>#include <vector>
using namespace std;
template<class T> class RedBlackTree { private: static const int red = 0; static const int black = 1;
int m_color; T m_val; RedBlackTree *m_left; RedBlackTree *m_right;
RedBlackTree(RedBlackTree *b) { m_val = b->m_val; m_left = b->m_left; m_right = b->m_right; m_color = red; }
public: RedBlackTree(T x) { m_val = x; m_left = 0; m_right = 0; m_color = red; }
const RedBlackTree *find(const T &key) const { const RedBlackTree *result = 0; if (key == m_val) { result = this; } else if (key < m_val) { if (m_left != 0) { result = m_left->find(key); } } else { if (m_right != 0) { result = m_right->find(key); } } return result; }};
Java Java import java.util.*;
public class RedBlackTree<T extends Comparable<T>> { public static final int red = 0;
public static final int black = 1;
private int __color;
private T __val; private RedBlackTree<T> __left; private RedBlackTree<T> __right;
private RedBlackTree(RedBlackTree<T> b) {
__val = b.__val; __left = b.__left; __right = b.__right;
__color = red; }
public RedBlackTree(T x) { __val = x; __left = null;
__right = null; __color = red; }
public RedBlackTree<T> find(T key) { RedBlackTree<T> result = null;
if (key == __val) { result = this;
} else if (key.compareTo(__val) < 0) { if (__left != null) {
result = __left.find(key); } }
else { if (__right != null) { result = __right.find(key);
} } return result;
}}
Python Python class RedBlackTree:
red, black = range(2)
def __init__(self, val=None):
self.left = None
self.right = None
self.val = val
self.color = RedBlackTree.red
def find(self, key):
result = None
if (key == self.val):
result = self
elif (key < self.val):
if (self.left != None):
result = self.left.find(key)
else:
if (self.right != None):
result = self.right.find(key)
return result
Integration with other languagesIntegration with other languages• Python libraries are commonly written in C or C++ when
performance is a consideration• You can use other languages in Python, and Python in other
languages– Inline, PyInline, Inline::Python etc.
• More projects integrating Python with other programming languages:
– Bridges for C/C++, Java, C#/.NET, PHP, Perl, and more
... and databases... and databases• Commercial / enterprise: Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, SAP DB,
Sybase• Open source: MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, redis, MongoDB
Alternative Python interpretersAlternative Python interpreters
Python is an open source language, implementations of Python are not controlled by a single commercial entity, as was case with Java and is the case with C#.
– Important for avoiding vendor lock-in– PSF license is very permissive
This encourages innovation and allows for alternative implementations:
– Jython: implemented in Java– Stackless Python: CPython variant– unladen-swallow: Google project for a faster Python– Iron Python: for the .NET Framework– PyPy: also focussing on speed and efficiency
Python as a Second LanguagePython as a Second Language
• What makes it easier to read also makes it easier to learn
• Many programmers come to Python from other languages
– lots of resources (Python wiki) for those switching– “Learning Python” by Mark Lutz and David Ascher– Ingy's anecdotal evidence
• Non-English tutorials and documentation– http://wiki.python.org/moin/Languages– there's even a Python tutorial in Esperanto!
Resources for developer-led initiatives to introduce and expand Python usage in your organization
• Commercial support and indemnification• Quality assured, vendor-backed builds• Python training from the best in the field• Development advice• code.activestate.com
• PyPM Index• Recipes
• Komodo Edit and IDE
How ActiveState can helpHow ActiveState can help
Python in the cloudPython in the cloud
Cloud application platform for Python and many others languages
– not a Platform as a Service... it's for creating your own
– based on Cloud Foundry – we've added Python support and a lot more
– supports multiple languages: Python, Perl, Ruby, Node.js, Java...
– all the Python web frameworks: Django, Bottle, Flask, Pyramid
– ... via WSGI
– deploy new applications or migrate existing ones
– http://activestate.com/cloud
Questions?Questions?
Thank You!Thank You!
Troy Topnik: [email protected]
Ingy döt Net: [email protected]
Speak to a representative about ActivePython or Python training:
www.activestate.com
