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Posted by blueeyedpop on August 7, 2005, 9:47 am
Well, I have a few reasons:
1) I am learning it for work. There are a lot of extremely intelligent
people at my office, and there are a few common programming techniques.
IsoPods for embedded stuff, and Python running on the PC and OS du jour.
2) I am interested in genetic programming. Python's built in data structures
look to be quite promising. Add to this the ability to generate and evecute
code dynamically, and you have all the makings of a G.A.
3) I need to pick up some kind, any kind of high level language that allows
me to write PC based applications. I really am not in the mood to deal with
assembler on a PC. For my speed requirements, it is not necessary. For my
work projects, if I need more speed, I can always get someone to write an
essembler for the tough bits if necessary, or just as likely, throw a
better/more PCs at it.
4) Python is free, well supported, and a useful resource for my column in
Nuts N Volts. It would enable me to write simple, cross platform routines to
help in simulation or visualization of data, just to name a few. Free is an
excellent justification for this. I can give source code that anyone with a
Linux box or Windows box can modify or execute. An example of this would be
a display routine for my Optical Mouse Camera. I had to resort to spitting
the pixels out as a table in HTML, with the background color representing
the pixel value. Novel but not terribly useful.
5) Python has a command line interpreter. It allows me to test things
interactively, then implement in code. This is how I develop in FORTH, for
instance.
Mike
> Stuart Grey wrote:
> > jim dorey wrote:
> > > On Fri, 05 Aug 2005 22:49:00 -0300, blueeyedpop
> > >> Hi Group,
> > >> Anyone out there using Python in their robotics
> > >> endeavors ?
> > >> Mike
> > > not me, but on a linux based embedded controller
> > > it'd be pretty good.
> > Why?
> > Why Python, and why Linux?
> Because they can?
> Although I have not taken the time to learn Python
> it obviously has some advantages. For example it is
> claimed that it is clear with simple rules and can
> allow fast implementation of an idea. It is said to
> be a "glue" language that can be integrated with
> other languages. It is platform independent. It is
> object-orientated. Plenty of support. Free and open
> ended. And allows easy use of the GUI of a modern OS.
> > Seems like a lot of overhead for not much gain.
> > I'd write it in assembler.
> Because you can?
> > I've done things in assembler in kilobytes that
> > other people write in Megabytes that do the same
> > thing.
> And what are those things Stuart? The hard part
> with regards to low level programming is the need
> to be able to learn and deal with the complex
> needs of a modern OS. Whereas a high level language
> like Visual Basic shelters you from these difficult
> to learn requirements. By difficult I don't mean
> intellectually difficult only very time consuming.
> Not a problem for full time programmer but prohibitive
> to anyone else.
> John Casey
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> Anyone out there using Python in their robotics endeavors ?
> Mike