When to use python?

[daviddoria]

Does anyone have a good 2 line summary of WHEN to use perl/python/bash/etc? To do easy-ish things, they can clearly all be used, but there is likely an ideology behind each that indicates WHEN/WHY to use them.

For example, I use VB if I want easy GUI, c++ if I want it to run very fast, etc.

I didn't see a "general programming" forum, so since I was most interested in when to use python I put it here.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Dave

i would just use python all round, its a very powerful tool, let alone language

[scru]

The question for me is more of when not. I tend to use other languages only when they make sense and then python for everything else (because of all of the ones I know it's the one I enjoy the most):

C# for WPF Gui apps,
C++ for speed critical applications
PHP if for some God forsaken reason I'm forced to do web development
Python for just about anything and everything else. It not that python can't do the others, the others are just better at it.

Oh, sometimes I use C to write python modules for apps that I do in python where some area needs the extra speed.

[bumsfeld]

Pick your project and use C++ to write your code. There will be the time that is rather obvious when you want to switch to Python.

[jbennet]

Python is used quite a lot for AI...

[targ]

perl/python/bash/etc

of these, I don't think there's any reason not to always choose python, unless you want to save space by not installing it or give scripts to people who don't have it.

of these, I don't think there's any reason not to always choose python, unless you want to save space by not installing it or give scripts to people who don't have it.

yes thats true but for both of your reservations you can just use portable python