Originally posted on 04/05/2010:
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.