Why Python is More Productive

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I was reading a recent discussion argument on Slashdot about how Python’s duck typing was inferior or superior to static typing (yes, the article was about if Python was fast enough, but the discussion wasn’t questioning that).  It is a very silly argument, because it really sidesteps what matters: Python is an order of magnitude more productive than most statically typed languages. Here is why:

You spend a lot less time writing code to implement and manipulate data structures.

First, a lot of type errors are created in code that manipulates data structures. So in Python, you end up leaning on  built in types like dictionaries, lists, tuples and sets instead of rolling your own. When you really need a custom data structure, you use utility classes, and utility classes benefit from duck typing and implicit type conversion (sometimes).  By directing focus away from plumbing for data structures, the developer is free to focus on logic and algorithms.  It’s one of the many reasons I really like Python.