Python doesn't feel like a functional language (and Paul is blamed for making author want it to)

Posted by mattculbreth on Monday April 02, 2007 @10:28AM
from the kunosure.blogspot.com dept.

http://kunosure.blogspot.com/2007/04/python-doesnt-feel-like-very-functional.html

( 4 comments | 2 points | on HN )

Re:Python doesn't feel like a functional language (and Paul ... by inklesspen on Monday April 02, 2007 @12:53PM (#8247)

Well, Paul might deserve a bit of the blame. He's written a code snippet or two of "Lisp in Python" -- unpythonic code that mimics the way Lisp does it, because he likes Lisp.

See: http://www.prescod.net/python/IsPythonLisp.html

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Re:Python doesn't feel like a functional language (and Paul ... by ced on Monday April 02, 2007 @01:16PM (#8251)

What the author means, is that Python does not feel like Lisp. It's true, but it doesn't make Python any less able to support FP. I code strictly FP for my work (science does not have state), and Python suits me fine in that regard.

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Re:Python doesn't feel like a functional language (and Paul ... by mattculbreth on Monday April 02, 2007 @01:30PM (#8261)

I think if we had true multi-line anonymous functions we'd be in better shape. Better support for closures also I guess. Still learning Lisp as well as I knew it back in school so I'll have to decide later if macros would be a good thing to have in Python.

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Re:Python doesn't feel like a functional language (and Paul ... by Tron on Monday April 02, 2007 @08:34PM (#8377)

It doesn't surprise me that attempting to program functionally in a statement-oriented language feels like putting on the wrong size pants. The two things are like oil and water: naturally opposed.

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