[Begin Soapbox]
- If your idea of demonstrating your programming creds online is bashing Python for being “too slow”, you’re just revealing that you don’t understand your job as a programmer.
- A programmer’s job is to figure out a good language to use for the application. Notice I didn’t say, “the best language”; because there isn’t one.
- Python too slow for your application? Great. Uncheck that box and investigate any of the innumerable other languages out there.
- There’s not a good language for your application? Some Really Good programmers create their own language. Other Really Good programmers just use assembly for fuck’s sake. If Margaret Hamilton can land people on the Moon in 1969 using 16kB of government hardware, you should be able to code a video game with computers several billion times more powerful. Or just ask ChatGPT to do it for you. I’ve read good things about it online.
- Never underestimate the utility of just requiring everyone to buy faster hardware to cover up crappy programming/business decisions. It’s been done since the first caveman programmed a computer by striking two transistors together.
- Most programmers have to make due with what they’re provided with at work. If you’re at work, get back to it and figure out how to solve the problem. That means stop your posing online about “there’s no programming language good enough for my application”. If explaining to your boss that you need a different approach didn’t work, work on your resume instead.
[End Soapbox]
There is only one mention of Python being slow, and that’s in the form of a joke where Python is crossed out and replaced with “the wrong tool for the job.” Elsewhere in the post, Python is mentioned more positively; it just isn’t what’s needed for the kind of gamedev the author wants to do.
OP wants to build a game. When I build games, I start high level (Python, Lua, GDScript, etc), then move the slow, stable bits to something faster. That’s a really effective flow, and at the end, I get a great scripting interface for my game.
But then, given the complaints, I’m not actually sure they do want to build a game, I think they really want to build a language, and maybe an engine.
… I start high level (Python, Lua, GDScript, etc), then move the slow, stable bits to something faster. That’s a really effective flow, and at the end, I get a great scripting interface for my game.
That’s the way to do it. “Premature optimization being the root of all evil” and all. Something that is slow but works is always better than something fast that doesn’t.”
But then, given the complaints, I’m not actually sure they do want to build a game, I think they really want to build a language, and maybe an engine.
And there’s nothing wrong with that. I personally find no interest in programming for programming’s sake. I need a problem to solve first. But what if I don’t have a problem to solve? Create one! Generating a problem is a valid way to let myself “enjoy” the combined agony/pleasure of programming.
I mean, it’s kind of the whole point of this article, to explore why they felt it was a good idea to try to create a programming language. Bashing other languages and coming up with reasons why none of the existing ones would do, is kind of the whole point. And they do self-reflect and admit that their reasons were ultimately not good enough from a purely objective point of view.
Honestly, my whining isn’t aimed directly at this piece, but to vent my spleen about yet another “Python is slowwww…” missive that is filling the internet.
Theirs comes across to me as “Every language is not good enough for me” whine. Two whines passing in the night, mine and theirs.
Thanks for taking the time to make a good point and apologies for my hypocritical whine about whining.
