February 05, 2003
I decided a couple months ago that it was time to renew my acquaintance with either Python or Java, but vacillated between the two for some time. In the end the decision was simple: although Python has some sex appeal, Java makes more sense. It's much more in keeping with the direction that I want to go as a web developer. Whereas there's very little that I want to do with Python that I can't or don't already do with Perl, there are exciting things happening in the Java world that I'd rather not miss, including some of the most appealing Apache projects. I have a strong suspicion that my employer will be doing quite a bit more with Java in the not-too-distant future, which means that I might be, too — assuming I don't get laid off in the upcoming budget cuts, god forbid. And I really did miss working with the language. It's been fun diving back into things.
Then I stumbled into How to Think Like a Computer Scientist: Learning with Python. For a sec I thought this would muddy the waters. But wait! There's a Java version. And of course there's always Bruce Eckel's Thinking in Java.
Thing is, though, the only one of those three that I'm likely to read is the Python one. Go figure. Maybe next year.
