From af3bd3043d516c5c576921020201cd935bfc86f2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Julio Biason Date: Tue, 9 Jun 2020 10:50:57 -0300 Subject: [PATCH] English version --- .../python-loses-2nd-place-loved-language.md | 84 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 84 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/thoughts/python-loses-2nd-place-loved-language.md diff --git a/content/thoughts/python-loses-2nd-place-loved-language.md b/content/thoughts/python-loses-2nd-place-loved-language.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8601743 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/thoughts/python-loses-2nd-place-loved-language.md @@ -0,0 +1,84 @@ ++++ +title = "Python Losing the 2nd Place on Loved Languages: A Thought" +date = 2020-06-08 + +[taxonomies] +tags = ["python", "typescript", "stackoverflow", "survey"] ++++ + +On this year StackOverflow Survey, Python lost its 2nd place to TypeScript. On +our Python group, people started wondering why that. And I just thought it +would be nice to post my thoughts on the situation. + + + +Before anything, I may have do make a disclaimer saying that I do love Python, +and I think it is a great language 'cause it is very concise but also very +expressive. I don't think any other language get close to Python in doing +those points so well. + +Disclaimer done, let me explain why I think Python lost its second place in +the hearts of developers. + +## Types + +One of the first thoughts one can think when we talk about "losing a +position" in any rank is "because it got worse". But I really don't think this +is what happened here, and what actually happened is that TypeScript shown +developers something better. + +TypeScript is aimed to JavaScript development, a zone where anything goes, +types are very flexible and magical -- to the point what most of things +actually produce a [Wat](https://www.destroyallsoftware.com/talks/wat). By +using types, making sure you're not adding a string to an array, a lot of +problems suddenly disappear. It is no silver bullet, but it fixes a whole +class of issues that would popup in production. + +So, in an environment that chaotic things happen, suddenly you have something +that puts order back and you gotta love it for that. Surely, it's not just +types that make TypeScript more loved than JavaScript, but it is partially +why. + +(Just to add to this point: Rust is still the most loved language 5 years in a +row, and it uses some pretty strong typing, close do Haskell, with added +syntax closer to what most languages use.) + +I still believe that, in the long run, type hinting can fill the gap for +Python to reach the proper position. I'd love to use it to add hinting in all +functions and then have something that I could set the level of checking on +different environments: make the application crash if the function was called +with the wrong types on development environment; just log (logging or stderr) +on staging; and do absolutely nothing on production. That would allow me to +use the best of both worlds: Dynamic when developing, but static when testing. + +## Python 2 is dead + +One of the things that happened to Python in the beginning of this year, when +the survey was done, was that Python 2 became unsupported. Surely, that +doesn't mean any Python 2 installation would stop working, but it gave an +extra jump to porting things to Python 3. + +And, even with all the backporting and improvements in Python 3, it was not a +smooth sail. That change, that forced change, may have let some Python devs +with some bitter taste about the language. No one wants to just fix changes in +the language, when the way things work must still work, quirks and all. + +## Hype + +Python is not a hyped language anymore. + +Sure, it is still a reference for machine learning and related fields, but the +once thriving environment of web dev was taking by the hype of other +languages. + +Python is not the hot stuff on web dev anymore. And because it is not the hot +stuff, people don't _want_ the old stuff; the old stuff is not cool anymore, +so they don't like it anymore. + +## Side-point + +One point not raised by anyone in the group: Although Python lost its second +place, it is still the most wanted language -- meaning, it is the language +most developers _want_ to learn. If the general feeling was "Python sucks!", I +pretty much doubt the want would still be representative -- and Python have a +large lead compared to JavaScript.