Ask HN: Is Python losing its beauty?

You may not think it's necessary but languages evolve and tend to add features. Unfortunately it' not practical to remove features from a mature language. This might look like bloat.

I happily use a subset of Python including a smattering of new features when they add value to the task at hand. This set of features has evolved over time and makes me more productive and allows me to write clean simple code.

If you don't like a new feature just don't use it. There is no rule that says you should use any feature which doesn't help you write great code.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, clearly. I think it's foul, midnight is False, one minute past is True, a 1-tuple is written (2,) and you join strings with

  '/'.join(['a', 'b'])
  

and don't get me started on classes ...

yes. hate those print() brackets with a furious passion. That put me right off and steered clear of the language.

The walrus operator is a very extreme example - the controversy around it directly disrupted the entire governance system of Python for a while. On the other hand not all new features detract from the simplicity of the language - f-strings are a wonderful example of this.

This reminds me of a domestic quarrrel when we were searching for a dishwasher. She wanted a stainless steel automatic dishwasher with four speeds and selectble wash cycles. She also requested the fully integrated digital touch control panel with fuzzy logic modulated jets and multiple racks with fold down tines.

I felt it would be sacrilegious to waste money on these extras — just to clean the dinnerware. Why do you think God gave us tounges? She is now living with an applance salesman.

I don't think so.

There's things that are weird, but you can just not use those.

I find static typing useful in certain scenarios, for example.

Having the flexibility to employ certain techniques when needed is very handy.

No, I hate the new features. Python already has enough syntax to describe almost any coding pattern. If it was up to me I would instead remove as much extraneous syntax as possible. Axe the type declarations, function decorators, f-strings, matrix multiplication operator and so on.