Originally posted on 04/05/2010:

Quote Originally Posted by Wrecktangle View Post
OK, is there something about Python that makes is easier or more forgiving to program in than other languages?

Why not use some variant of C? or VBA? or Java?
Python is infinitely easier than C, Visual basic and Java. It will become more apparent the more you do with it, but take a look at the code to open and parse a CSV file. 3 readable lines. Show me a short elegant solution like that in C or Java. Don't get me wrong, compiled languages like C and Java have their place -- and are much much more efficient. But for this type of project, you will want to use a scripting language, (Python, Ruby, Perl etc...) I've just chosen Python because it's what I'm most familiar with.

Bottom line: I can write something in Python in 1/3 the time it takes me to write something in C or Java, with increased readability/maintainability, and without losing any functionality.