Path: csiph.com!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!not-for-mail From: Dennis Lee Bieber Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Subject: Re: Considering migrating to Python from Visual Basic 6 for engineering applications Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2016 08:27:28 -0500 Organization: IISS Elusive Unicorn Lines: 28 Message-ID: References: <90cc50d2-1ce5-4588-9bfd-a49d439f00dd@googlegroups.com> <56c66aa9$0$1598$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <8c67cb1c-4318-4d3b-b425-da894e5138e4@googlegroups.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: news.uni-berlin.de FjWmlzJbontgPJQb1QkIxwuTPTti0acmyW5fuABBE9AQ== Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.003 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.99; '*S*': 0.00; 'subject:Python': 0.05; 'dynamically': 0.07; 'perl,': 0.07; 'message-id:@4ax.com': 0.09; 'received:80.91': 0.09; 'received:80.91.229': 0.09; 'received:gmane.org': 0.09; 'received:list': 0.09; 'subject:Visual': 0.09; 'python': 0.10; 'python.': 0.11; 'file,': 0.15; '2016': 0.16; 'csv,': 0.16; 'discusses': 0.16; 'file).': 0.16; 'learnt': 0.16; 'received:80.91.229.3': 0.16; 'received:io': 0.16; 'received:plane.gmane.org': 0.16; 'received:psf.io': 0.16; 'differ': 0.18; 'url:home': 0.18; 'language': 0.19; 'library': 0.20; 'people,': 0.20; 'feb': 0.23; 'header:X-Complaints-To:1': 0.26; 'fri,': 0.27; '(it': 0.29; 'types.': 0.29; 'another': 0.32; 'table': 0.32; 'etc.)': 0.32; 'doubt': 0.33; 'that!': 0.33; 'add': 0.34; 'formats': 0.35; 'weekend': 0.35; 'but': 0.36; 'there': 0.36; 'modules': 0.36; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.36; 'subject:: ': 0.37; 'received:org': 0.37; 'pdf': 0.37; 'suggestion': 0.37; 'charset:us-ascii': 0.37; 'manual': 0.38; 'data': 0.39; 'does': 0.39; 'subject:from': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.40; 'some': 0.40; 'questions': 0.40; 'your': 0.60; 'email addr:gmail.com': 0.62; 'yes': 0.62; 'linked': 0.63; 'manual,': 0.84; 'pre-written': 0.84; 'rexx,': 0.84; 'capability': 0.91; 'dennis': 0.91; 'besides,': 0.93; 'received:108': 0.93 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: adsl-108-68-179-144.dsl.klmzmi.sbcglobal.net X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 6.00/32.1186 X-No-Archive: YES X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.21rc2 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:103193 On Fri, 19 Feb 2016 03:11:04 -0800 (PST), wrong.address.1@gmail.com declaimed the following: > >I have not yet learnt any Python so I do not understand almost anything. Besides, I will have to read data given to me by people, which may not come in nice formats like CSV, or pre-written by Python. > Then the best suggestion I have would be to take a weekend and just read the language reference manual (it used to be about an 80-page PDF file, but has no doubt grown into some less handy dynamically linked HTML/"help" file). Then add the section of the library reference manual that discusses data types. And while in that manual, scan the table of contents -- you may find there are modules in the standard library that already do what you need. Most of your questions have the same answer if applied to any Turing-complete language... (LISP, APL, Fortran, BASIC, REXX, Ada, COBOL, PERL, etc.) Yes -- it does that! HOW it does "that" may differ from one language to another but the capability will be there in some form. -- Wulfraed Dennis Lee Bieber AF6VN wlfraed@ix.netcom.com HTTP://wlfraed.home.netcom.com/