From: tjroberts137@sbcglobal.net   
      
   On 6/26/21 5:36 AM, Jos Bergervoet wrote:   
   > [...] with those declared variables you can actually compute things   
   > in a fast way, since Fortran is a compiled language while Python is   
   > interpreted.   
      
   While true, this is a red herring, except for very-old-school   
   programmers who don't understand how to use Python [#]. Modern   
   software development involves using libraries rather than coding stuff   
   yourself. Python libraries numpy and scipy are every bit as fast as   
   FORTRAN when using arrays for large computations. When not using arrays,   
   and for small computations, Python is faster than humans, which is   
   usually all that matters.   
      
   	[#] Hint: if you ever loop over the elements of an array   
   	in Python, you are probably doing it wrong, or at least   
   	very inefficiently. (Does not apply to small lists.)   
      
   The real win for Python, however, is in improved programmer productivity   
   compared to Fortran. As any serious programmer learns the basics of a   
   new language in a day or two, this improved productivity applies even if   
   you don't already know Python. (Except for tiny, one-off projects.)   
      
   There are situations where languages like Fortran or C++ are   
   appropriate, mostly when dealing with legacy libraries, or building a   
   large software edifice.   
      
   Tom Roberts   
      
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