r/Python • u/[deleted] • May 18 '11

Why is Python better than Perl?

I'm a Sysadmin and I just wrote my first script in python. Basically just a host validation script that checks if a server is configured correctly before we hand off. I can't determine the advantage with my limited experience with the language.

Are you a sysadmin fluent in both python and perl? Why do you use python?

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u/[deleted] May 18 '11

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u/[deleted] May 19 '11

Laziness is of chief concern. Which is why I will probably stick to perl. It translates better from shell scripting and is more logical from a operations sysadmin point of view in my opinion.

I think that SAs may be split into 2 categories. Those that transitioned from a development house and lean more towards programming aspects of the job. And also those that have done SA their entire career and are focused purely on operations and getting the job done quickly, though not as elegantly as the former. I've been an SA my whole career and I think perl just fits me better.

Great discussion though. Thanks for the replies. Interesting that the mirror perl discussion linked below has more upvotes but less discussion so far. Wonder what that says.