Is there a need for a “use strict” Python compiler?

Question

There exist static analysis tools for Python, but compile time checks tend to be diametrically opposed to the run-time binding philosophy that Python embraces. It\'s possibl

Answer 1

This original answer is correct, but does not perhaps explain the situation in a practical sense.

There exist static analysis tools for Python, but compile time checks tend to be >diametrically opposed to the run-time binding philosophy that Python embraces.

What 'use strict' provides in Perl is the ability to ensure that a mis-spelled or variable name is (usually) caught at compile-time. This does improve code reliability, and speeds up development. But in order to make such a thing worthwhile, you need to declare variables. And Python style seems to discourage that.

So in Python, you never find out about a mis-spelled variable until you notice at run-time that the assignment you thought you made is not being made, or that an expression seems to resolve to an unexpected value. Catching such errors can be time-consuming, especially as programs get large, and as people are forced to maintain code developed by others.

Java and C/C++ take it a step further, with type checking. The motivation is practical, rather than philosophical. How can you catch as many errors as possible as soon as possible, and be sure that you eliminate all of them before releasing code to production? Each language seems to take a particular strategy and run with it, based upon what they think is important. In a language like Perl, where run-time binding isn't supported, it makes sense to take advantage of 'use strict' to make development easier.