5 ms·

But that doesn't explain why Python and not C#. Can't a C# programmer be up-and-running with Python in a day or two too?

cgh 14y ago
Probably because not everyone is learning to program on Windows.
- jiggy2011 14y ago
  You can use Mono to program C# on Linux or Mac.
  - spamizbad 14y ago
    Yeah, but chances are your Linux or Mac users will already have python installed via their OS. The biggest challenge for Windows users is remembering to go to python.org and not python.com to obtain their version.
    - eichin 14y ago
      And if you look at any of the udacity office-hours videos, when you see laptops, they're almost always Macs :-)
  - anthonyb 14y ago
    This is for people learning to program, remember? If they have to install Mono, that's just an extra hurdle, and doesn't get them any closer to their goal vs. just using Python.
    - jiggy2011 14y ago
      Either way your going to have to install something, either a python runtime or a mono/.net runtime. Plus your going to at least want to install a better text editor and probably set some environment variables. The installation process for all of these things shouldn't be a big hurdle since all you'd have to do is follow a set of steps that can be easily demonstrated.
jiggy2011 14y ago
Yes, probably. The point is that Python has a lower barrier to entry, mainly because it doesn't force you to learn anything about OO first. That is why python and not C#. The point is being made that learning one language makes it vastly easiest to learn another , so you may as well start by learning one that is designed to be learnable rather than necessarily one that is in demand.
antidoh 14y ago
Python has less syntactic sugar: semi colon-terminated statements, braces, etc. It doesn't make Python "better," but to a newb, the less the better. If less comes in a real language, so much the better. Variable declarations ... you could go either way. I like that Python is closer to a language that "knows what you mean" even when you don't declare a variable. You can learn discipline later. Learning to program is a chicken and egg problem, you have to learn two things: a language (any language) and programming concepts, and unfortunately you have to learn one to do the other. Python's forgiving nature makes that a bit easier than some other languages.

cgh 14y ago

Probably because not everyone is learning to program on Windows.

jiggy2011 14y ago
You can use Mono to program C# on Linux or Mac.
- spamizbad 14y ago
  Yeah, but chances are your Linux or Mac users will already have python installed via their OS. The biggest challenge for Windows users is remembering to go to python.org and not python.com to obtain their version.
  - eichin 14y ago
    And if you look at any of the udacity office-hours videos, when you see laptops, they're almost always Macs :-)
- anthonyb 14y ago
  This is for people learning to program, remember? If they have to install Mono, that's just an extra hurdle, and doesn't get them any closer to their goal vs. just using Python.
  - jiggy2011 14y ago
    Either way your going to have to install something, either a python runtime or a mono/.net runtime. Plus your going to at least want to install a better text editor and probably set some environment variables. The installation process for all of these things shouldn't be a big hurdle since all you'd have to do is follow a set of steps that can be easily demonstrated.

jiggy2011 14y ago

Yes, probably. The point is that Python has a lower barrier to entry, mainly because it doesn't force you to learn anything about OO first. That is why python and not C#. The point is being made that learning one language makes it vastly easiest to learn another , so you may as well start by learning one that is designed to be learnable rather than necessarily one that is in demand.

antidoh 14y ago

Python has less syntactic sugar: semi colon-terminated statements, braces, etc. It doesn't make Python "better," but to a newb, the less the better. If less comes in a real language, so much the better. Variable declarations ... you could go either way. I like that Python is closer to a language that "knows what you mean" even when you don't declare a variable. You can learn discipline later. Learning to program is a chicken and egg problem, you have to learn two things: a language (any language) and programming concepts, and unfortunately you have to learn one to do the other. Python's forgiving nature makes that a bit easier than some other languages.