Comparing Python to various other languages:

Full Treatments:

• PythonVsHaskell

• PythonVsNice

• PythonVsRuby

• PythonVsPhp

External Articles:

• Multiple Languages:

  • Several in 2006, David Howard's http://www.dmh2000.com/cjpr/ C++ vs Java vs Python vs Ruby. This essay provides implementations of moderately simple algorithms, like Red-Black Trees in various languages. The essay compares language features and renders fair verdicts. It has a handy feature to scroll through the various implementations side by side. A good, quick read.

  • Several in 2002: GlyphLefkowitz wrote, and MikeConnell updated some very simple [http://www.flat222.org/mac/bench/ performance benchmarks]. This is no longer being updated.

  • 2001: "[http://www.itworld.com/AppDev/4061/swol-0202-regex/ Which language is right for you?]"

  • Several in 2000: [http://www.ipd.uka.de/~prechelt/Biblio/ Lutz Prechelt]'s article [http://page.mi.fu-berlin.de/~prechelt/Biblio/jccpprt_computer2000.pdf An Empirical Comparison of C, C++, Java, Perl, Python, Rexx, and Tcl for a Search/String-Processing Program] (pdf) is a little old, but it is REAL RESEARCH, comparing productivity and program performance for 80 different implementations of the same requirements, in seven languages.

  • Several in 1997: Guido's essay [http://www.python.org/doc/essays/comparisons.html Comparing Python to Other Languages] is an essay comparison of Python to Java, JavaScript, Perl, Tcl, SmallTalk, C++, CommonLisp, and Scheme.

  • erratically updated: "[http://phaseit.net/claird/comp.lang.misc/language_comparisons.html#scripting Bilateral comparisons of scripting languages]"

• Perl

  • Perl in 2000: Eric Raymond's essay [http://www.linuxjournal.com/article.php?sid=3882 Why Python] describes how he discovered Python, how it compares to Perl, and why he was impressed.

  • Perl in 1999: The humorous [http://www.python.org/doc/Humor.html#yoda Python vs. Perl according to Yoda].

• Lisp

  • Lisp: Peter Norvig wrote [http://www.norvig.com/python-lisp.html Python for Lisp Programmers] which includes a feature-by-feature comparison.

  • Lisp in 1999: There is a pretty terrible comparison of Python and Lisp (in the sense of being uninformed about Lisp) at http://www.strout.net/python/pythonvslisp.html. The only reason for mentioning it is to say, yes, it's old and inaccurate, and not to take it too seriously (you can seach comp.lang.lisp for more specific refutations if you really want).

• Tcl

  • Tcl in 1998: Frank Stajano's paper, [http://www.python.org/workshops/1998-11/proceedings/papers/stajano/stajano.html Implementing the SMS server, or why I switched from Tcl to Python], was presented at the [http://www.python.org/workshops/1998-11/proceedings.html Seventh International Python Conference] (in 1998). (Also available in [http://www.python.org/workshops/1998-11/proceedings/papers/stajano/stajano.pdf PDF].)

• Java

  • 2007: here's a frequent dialogue: Pythoneer: "My Python source is a tenth the size of my Java programs"; Javaite: "No way! Maybe you gain 30%, but they're kind of the same language, right?"; and so on. [http://paulbuchheit.blogspot.com/2007/05/amazingly-bad-apis.html This brief note] by Paul Buchheit gives a little more depth to the discussion. His point: Java APIs are often terrible.

  • Java in 2006: [http://www.razorvine.net/python/PythonComparedToJava

PythonComparedToJava] lists the similarities and the differences between Python and Java.

• Java: Stephen Ferg's [http://techiesabode.com/article/read_article_w.php?article_id=13 Python & Java: a Side-by-Side Comparison] looks at programmer productivity.

... please add more!

See also StrongVsWeakTyping.

CategoryAdvocacy