Re: Is Python really a scripting language?

On 13 Des, 02:19, Steven D'Aprano <st...@REMOVE-THIS-
cybersource.com.au> wrote:

I have repeatedly argued in the past that we do ourselves a disservice by
describing Python as an interpreted language. Python is compiled. It has
a compiler. It even has a built-in function "compile".

Python is compiled to bytecode. Python's bytecode is interpreted. Does
that make Python interpreted or compiled? I could not care less.

The terms 'scripting language' and 'interpreted language' have
somewhat different meanings. 'Scripting language' typically means a
language used for one of:

- Shell scripts
- Automation macros in a larger application
- Code embedded in a web page
- CGI

Python, Perl, Lisp and Visual Basic are certainly used as scripting
languages in some settings. But that does not mean it is the only
thing they can be used for. On the other hand, JavaScript and Bourne
shell have little use except as scripting languages.

























.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: About alternatives to Matlab
    ... Python will almost certainly be notably slower than moderately ... the powerful and flexible Python language. ... particularly that an OCaml user can easily switch back and forth ... The knowledge is there for the compiler to use but I don't believe any of ...
    (comp.lang.python)
  • Re: About alternatives to Matlab
    ... Python will almost certainly be notably slower than moderately ... the powerful and flexible Python language. ... particularly that an OCaml user can easily switch back and forth ... The knowledge is there for the compiler to use but I don't believe any of ...
    (comp.lang.python)
  • Re: Using Python for programming algorithms
    ... implementation of a language. ... all known Python implementations compile to byte-code. ... Wikipedia says about C that "its design goals were for it to be compiled using a relatively straightforward compiler, provide low-level access to memory, provide language constructs that map efficiently to machine instructions, and require minimal run-time support". ... that very strongly suggests that it was meant to be compiled to native code. ...
    (comp.lang.python)
  • Re: Using Python for programming algorithms
    ... implementation of a language. ... all known Python implementations compile to byte-code. ... the most common method by far for C is to use a toolchain that compiles to native code and for Python a byte code compiler + virtual machine. ... There's at least one C interpreter. ...
    (comp.lang.python)
  • Re: translating Python to Assembler
    ... Python doesn't get compiled into assembly language. ... The assembler compiler can convert an assembler file to a binary ...
    (comp.lang.python)
Loading