There are thousands of programming languages, but even if your organization works in one of the more popular languages, it's likely you will eventually interact with others who are unfamiliar with it. Since you can't be proficient in every programming language under the sun, a language that bridges technologies and allows people to communicate their ideas is needed. A few programming languages have tried to fill this role over the years, but none holds as much promise as Python.

1. Python:
The Programmer’s Lingua Franca
Using Python to build bridges between
technologies, businesses and people

2. What we'll talk about
• What is a lingua franca?
• Why the industry needs one
• Acmeism – the Ingy approach
• Past and current examples: BASIC, C,
and Java
• Why Python is better
• TPSL: Teaching Python as a Second (or
third or fourth) Language
• Getting past the barriers

3. What is a lingua franca?
“a language systematically used to make communication possible
between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it
is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.”
-- Wikipedia
• The original “Lingua Franca” was an amalgam of languages
– Made up of Italian, Arabic, French, Greek, Portuguese, Spanish and
Turkish.
– Used in the Mediterranean during the Rennaissance
• English functions as the de facto modern lingua franca
– For international business, aviation, science and technology
– Integrates words from other languages
• English doesn't fit the strict definition
– It is often the mother tongue of at least one party...
– but this example is closer to what we'll talk about

4. Why do we need one for
programming?
• So many languages
– more than 2500 in all (“The Language List” Bill Kinnersley)
– if you just include popular ones, you still can't learn them
all
• Programmers need a vehicle to express concepts to
one another
• Programs need a vehicle to interact with one another
– open data formats
– standard protocols
– an API everyone can use

5. What this audience reported:
Number of Languages in Organization
5%
14%
27%
1 language
2 languages
3 languages
4 or more languages
Unknown or no answer
18%
37%

6. Ingy döt Net
• Inventor of YAML
• Leader in the Perl Community
• 100+ CPAN modules
• Several PyPI Modules
• Old and New “Activator”
• Acmeist
• Currently travelling around Europe

7. Acmeism
• A different path to mutual comprehension
• Ideas (modules) need to be shared across all
language boundaries
• Build technology that is programming language
independent
– YAML – data serialization for many programming
languages
– C'Dent - Acmeist Module Language
– Pegex - Acmeist Parser for creating new
languages
– TestML - Acmeist Unit test language (like FIT)

8. Other programming lingua francas
• BASIC
– Used to be everywhere, code samples in math and science
textbooks
– Many first generation micro-computer hackers started with this
language
• C
– Widely used and part of most comp-sci programs
– Most experienced programmers are familiar with it
– Lower-level language
• Java
– Extremely popular, cross-platform, also widely taught
– Very verbose
– Open source (GPL) only since 2007 (c.f. Apache Harmony)

9. ... used by this audience
Language Used to Describe Programming Ideas
15% 14%
14% C
Java
Python
Other
No answer
13%
43%

10. Why Python is better
• Free
• Easy to read
– Syntax (specifically indentation) enforces sane visual block
structure
– Concise, high-level interpreted language
• Easy to learn
– Excellent documentation and tutorials
– Numerous training resources
• Increasingly popular
– Adopted by important organizations: Google, NASA, Disney,
Sony, SEC

11. Comparisons
Which language is most readable and concise?
– Example code adapted from http://www.dmh2000.com/cjpr/
– Using object oriented C++ instead of C to be more fair

12. C++
#include <iostream>
#include <sstream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>
using namespace std;
template<class T> class RedBlackTree {
private:
static const int red = 0;
static const int black = 1;
int m_color;
T m_val;
RedBlackTree *m_left;
RedBlackTree *m_right;
RedBlackTree(RedBlackTree *b) {
m_val = b->m_val;
m_left = b->m_left;
m_right = b->m_right;
m_color = red;
}
public:
RedBlackTree(T x) {
m_val = x;
m_left = 0;
m_right = 0;
m_color = red;
}
const RedBlackTree *find(const T &key) const {
const RedBlackTree *result = 0;
if (key == m_val) {
result = this;
}
else if (key < m_val) {
if (m_left != 0) {
result = m_left->find(key);
}
}
else {
if (m_right != 0) {
result = m_right->find(key);
}
}
return result;
}
};

13. Java
import java.util.*;
public class RedBlackTree<T extends Comparable<T>> {
public static final int red = 0;
public static final int black = 1;
private int __color;
private T __val;
private RedBlackTree<T> __left;
private RedBlackTree<T> __right;
private RedBlackTree(RedBlackTree<T> b) {
__val = b.__val;
__left = b.__left;
__right = b.__right;
__color = red;
}
public RedBlackTree(T x) {
__val = x;
__left = null;
__right = null;
__color = red;
}
public RedBlackTree<T> find(T key) {
RedBlackTree<T> result = null;
if (key == __val) {
result = this;
}
else if (key.compareTo(__val) < 0) {
if (__left != null) {
result = __left.find(key);
}
}
else {
if (__right != null) {
result = __right.find(key);
}
}
return result;
}
}

14. Python
class RedBlackTree:
red, black = range(2)
def __init__(self, val=None):
self.left = None
self.right = None
self.val = val
self.color = RedBlackTree.red
def find(self, key):
result = None
if (key == self.val):
result = self
elif (key < self.val):
if (self.left != None):
result = self.left.find(key)
else:
if (self.right != None):
result = self.right.find(key)
return result

15. Integration with other languages
• Python libraries are commonly written in C or C++ when
performance is a consideration
• You can use other languages in Python, and Python in other
languages
– Inline, PyInline, Inline::Python etc.
• More projects integrating Python with other programming
languages:
– Bridges for C/C++, Java, C#/.NET, PHP, Perl, and more
... and databases
• Commercial / enterprise: Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, SAP DB,
Sybase
• Open source: MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, redis, MongoDB

16. Alternative Python interpreters
Python is an open source language, implementations of
Python are not controlled by a single commercial entity, as
was case with Java and is the case with C#.
– Important for avoiding vendor lock-in
– PSF license is very permissive
This encourages innovation and allows for alternative
implementations:
– Jython: implemented in Java
– Stackless Python: CPython variant
– unladen-swallow: Google project for a faster Python
– Iron Python: for the .NET Framework
– PyPy: also focussing on speed and efficiency

17. Python as a Second Language
• What makes it easier to read also makes it easier to
learn
• Many programmers come to Python from other
languages
– lots of resources (Python wiki) for those switching
– “Learning Python” by Mark Lutz and David Ascher
– Ingy's anecdotal evidence
• Non-English tutorials and documentation
– http://wiki.python.org/moin/Languages
– there's even a Python tutorial in Esperanto!

18. How ActiveState can help
Resources for developer-led initiatives to introduce and
expand Python usage in your organization
•
Commercial support and indemnification
•
Quality assured, vendor-backed builds
•
Python training from the best in the field
•
Development advice
•
code.activestate.com
•
PyPM Index
•
Recipes
•
Komodo Edit and IDE

19. Python in the cloud
Cloud application platform for Python and many others languages
– not a Platform as a Service... it's for creating your own
– based on Cloud Foundry – we've added Python support and a lot more
– supports multiple languages: Python, Perl, Ruby, Node.js, Java...
– all the Python web frameworks: Django, Bottle, Flask, Pyramid
– ... via WSGI
– deploy new applications or migrate existing ones
– http://activestate.com/cloud

20. Questions?

21. Thank You!
Troy Topnik: troyt@activestate.com
Ingy döt Net: ingy@activestate.com
www.acmeism.org
Speak to a representative about
ActivePython or Python training:
1-866-510-2914
business-solutions@activestate.com
www.activestate.com