Programming Python, 3rd Edition

Postscript to the Third Edition (2006)

And now here I am in the future again, so I get to add a few more words.

Proof of Concept

Some 5 years after writing the second edition of this book, and 10 years after the first, perhaps the most obvious thing worth adding to this original conclusion today is proof of concept: Python’s success over the years seems validation of the simplicity and mixed-language themes that Python, and this conclusion, originally advocated. By all accounts, Python has been a greater success than most of its pioneers ever imagined.

See Chapter 1 for some statistics on this front—Python is now a mainstream language, widely used in very successful projects and organizations, and often in the context of hybrid architectures. In fact, the question today is not who is using Python, but who is not; it shows up in some fashion in virtually every substantial development organization. Moreover, all signs point to continued growth in years to come; as I write these words, Python’s popularity is roughly doubling each year.

Today I meet many more people than ever before who are able to use Python. Programming may indeed always be a challenge, but Python has shown that the language used, and the mixture of languages used, can greatly reduce the difficulty of that challenge. People enjoy using Python—so much so that many of them would find it difficult to go back to using something as tedious and complex as C++.

Integration Today

Another trend that has become clear in recent years ...