How large can Python projects scale?

10    10 Apr 2016 23:13 by u/roznak

My background is C++, C#, Delphi,....

Now I am looking at Python to learn it. I found PyCharm, GTK+ and started to develop user interfaces.

  • Delphi scalability depended on how many units I could create before the IDE crashed. Also second was slower compile times.
  • C++ scalability depended on how fast my computer was. 20 minutes of compile time was my maximum I accepted.
  • C#, combined with resharper: I have not yet reached a scale yet. I have huge projects.

Because of PyCharm that came from Jetbrains just like Resharper I assumed that it would be easy to use. But I do get disappointed because basic things I can do in C# seems not to work. One such thing is when I rename a variable. In C# I change it and then Resharper asks me if I want to rename all other instances and I click go. In Python with PyCharm it does not do that. I have to manually go though every instance.

Let's it put it the other way: I appear to be able to develop faster with C#-Resharper combined than in Python. Am I right?

7 comments

8 u/NervousHorse 11 Apr 2016 00:43

Isn't this more about IDEs than Python itself? You can easily rename all instances of your variables in pretty much any text editor regardless of the language.

6 u/hi5enigma 11 Apr 2016 03:46

I've seen python scale almost 10 ft long.

1 u/MagicalCentaurBeans 11 Apr 2016 03:30

pycharm - right click var > refactor > rename.

or: shift + f6

0 u/roznak [OP] 11 Apr 2016 18:15

Interesting. In VS C# you rename the variable, then you get a tiny red sign, you click on it and everything is renamed.

0 u/tar-x 11 Apr 2016 00:36

On how projects "scale", there are certainly python projects with hundreds of thousands of lines. Go try modifying those and see if it meets your expectations.

On your development speed, I can't speak as to how well your setup works for you, but I think you might be missing something. For example, PyCharm does have find/replace. Google if you don't know how to find it. I doubt the two seconds you would spend bringing up the dialog takes much time. Also, the language you're using and your skill level with it affects development speed far more than the IDE ever will.

0 u/roznak [OP] 11 Apr 2016 18:33

On how projects "scale", there are certainly python projects with hundreds of thousands of lines.

I checked the link but these are still small to what I am used to.