Python: Concise

I have spent several years both reading and contributing to comp.lang.python. Yet another thread on proposed language changes together with replies pointing out that Python tries to be both short and clear set me off on a tangent trying to find that one adjective that captured that property of Python.



After some online research using Chambers, (do they use Python on their website? The link includes /chref.py/); AskOxford; and Thesaurus.com, I introduced myself to the alt.usage.english newsgroup and asked them to help me improve on my then best candidate word - succinct.



After some useful dialogue I received a private email through the newsgroup from Orlando Enrique suggesting concise. Acting quite mechanically I went and did a search on AskOxford for concise and got many more hits than I expected, and then it dawned on me, the publishers of the Oxford dictionary use the word concise in the title of their abridged works to convey just what I wanted for Python: it is short, comprehensive, and clear. Any shorter would affect clarity. Any longer would not be necessary.



So in summary: Try Python, it's concise.