An evening in

… reading Everything2 and getting slightly wankered on Staropramen and Johnnie Walker Black Label — the perfect way to forget a hard day. Now that's entertainment.

Posted at 2004-12-06 12:46:22 by Richard • Link to An evening in

Python Is Not Java

This is a really good blog post about mistakes Java programmers make when approaching a more dynamic language (though it applies to any similar transition). His points are particularly insightful on the topic of XML:

XML is not the answer. It is not even the question. To paraphrase Jamie Zawinski on regular expressions, "Some people, when confronted with a problem, think I know, Ill use XML. Now they have two problems."

This is a different situation than in Java, because compared to Java code, XML is agile and flexible. Compared to Python code, XML is a boat anchor, a ball and chain.

Posted at 2004-12-06 10:24:23 by Richard • Link to Python Is Not Java

i-names, continued

There are two i-name sites: one is a test site, and one is the (presumably finished) main site. Unfortunately, they don't seem to interoperate, and it seems the link I followed was to the wrong one. I'm still waiting for a response from tech support as to what's going on; I'll keep the world posted.

Update: I've re-registered at the main site, giving me a correct link. The receipt also doesn't say “TEST MODE” at the top, now! I'll wait and see about the CC charges — presumably there won't be any.

Posted at 2004-12-06 06:50:40 by Richard • Link to i-names, continued