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Comment by jamesfe | Hacker News Reader

I like to use Python for quick, fast, flexible things.

I like to use Java and Go for things that require more structure and type checking.

I like to use Scala for functional programming.

I suppose we all have our preferences, but I'm glad the author uses the word "favorite" because there are great cases to be made for every technology out there.

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I'm with you. The problem comes when you get a job with a bunch of kook-aid drinkers who use it for everything.

Python the MS Word of Programming Languages. People over use it like a Swiss Knife. Expand a little and use it when it is the proper tool for the proper job.

This.

Python is great for what it does. I use it a fair amount. Its fast enough for me.

I admire the hutzpah to use it everywhere, but...But when people try to number crunch, and add c extensions and hey arduino could use an interpreted language! why don't we have it optimize itself (pypy) and so on.

When I learned it I thought I would reach programming bliss, as its reputation is so strong. But after I learned it I thought "its nice, but am I missing something?"

I think a statically typed language similar to Python might be the holy grail of languages. Maybe Nim, Scala, or even Kotlin could fulfill that role (I have no experience in any of these). Although, I am skeptical if JVM based languages could work well for that given their long start up times.

I'd say Nim fits that description best. It's a great compiled, efficient, statically typed Python alternative.

I like kotlin for all the reasons you said above. Try it

Yeah, between Kotlin and Rust we now have two very well designed languages that should fill pretty much every need. To me Python, Ruby and Java are pretty much legacy at this point.

http://www.grpc.io/docs/ OTOH you always have an easier time using a language with more support... so most of the times I'd say those legacy languages are the best option...

That is certainly true. In fact that's partially the reason why I'm still using Ruby for some of my projects. Kotlin though has the benefit of being able to use all the Java ecosystem.

Libraries, platform support/exclusivity, fast start-up, etc. The perfect language(s) hasn't(haven't) been invented yet.

I didn't say "perfect" I said "very well designed". I don't think perfect exists. My statement also was strictly about the languages themselves. Languages pretty much never fully go away because there is always some amazingly well done library that will be needed for virtually ever. Just look at all the math stuff done in Fortran. Sorry, I should have been clearer.

Rust has those i believe :)

I don't believe either of those can compete with python+numpy (or matlab if you're masochistic) for numerical computation (and everything that comes with it).

This is one of the reasons I use python instead of kotlin. But I hope libraries will catch up at some point.

That. Except for me Kotlin is TypeScript.

I totally see the appeal of Kotlin. For me, my day to day job is JS and TypeScript makes that a top shelf experience. It seems like the one constant in my work has always been JS and SQL for almost everything I've ever touched. Though in my dichotomy, I never actually need or use Rust. I would like to find an excuse to write a library in Rust.

I don't think kotlin is TypeScript. Kotlin adds to java some nice things like coroutines, it is not only null safetly, functional programming and some sintax sugar. And also compiles to javascript and in the future to native.

? "I don't think kotlin is TypeScript." ?

I don't either. What are you talking about?

Cool! I'll check it out.

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