C# is out, python is in
At BioWare, I pretty exclusively used C#/.NET. I consider myself a talented .NET developer and have spent a lot of time reading books, blogs, and exploring new technology and techniques. I’ve dabbled with other languages (and used them where necessary), but I’ve always fallen back to C#.
CCP, though, is a python/C++ house, and I have no desire to try to push .NET there (even if I could). So I’m entirely leaving .NET behind now and moving forward with python. I have a lot to learn- fortunately, I think I’m a good enough developer that I no longer need C# to hold my hand. I think C#/.NET is an excellent platform, especially for learning- the framework helps speed up development by including a great library and it manages memory for you, and the language forces some degree of structure on your programs. Python has the same benefits but forces less structure on your programs. This is, in my opinion, bad when you are learning but great when you are done dealing with the clutter and boilerplate those languages impose.
So, after being a diehard C# developer for the last few years, I’m ready to leave it all behind and jump headfirst into python. I’ve already been updating my blog rolls and going through some great books for months, but I know I have a long ways to go.
Best of luck Rob – sounds like a great job. Python is awesome – although I know a lot of folks coming from statically typed languages have a hard time picking it up. I look forward to hearing your progress!
Good luck.
Python is a beast.
Sometimes very infuriating in my personal opinion, but powerful.
But I feel dirty when I use it. :)