I need to correct some errors about Python (and for me, it's not my point of view, it's the reality, can be easily checked on the net):

> "considered a script language"
why "considered" ? Is it a script language.

> "often use for scripting inside applications"

Absolutely not.
Almost Python scripts are standalones applications, runned from the "python" binary, then C-written modules are used to extend capacities of the core language.
It's even written in official Python documentation that it's prefered to extend than to embeed Python.

> "Covers similar application areas as Lua."

I think not, and even some pro-lua coders also after reading some forum about "Python vs Lua".
Lua is a lightweight language, mainly used to be embeeded in applications (the opposite of Python) and extend/control these applications.

Not for my opinion: Lua is much more a pretender to replace Arexx than Python, because of its lightweight/embeed design as I've said before.

Lua has a fast execution (faster than Python) but not cover the huge computer programing science area as Python does.

Python comes with more "libraries". That's why it's used for develop complete applications, almost written in Python (and extended with C/C++ modules when needed).

So Lua is (maybe) a suitable language for "noobs-of-the-noobs", then complex applications may be more easily and faster written in Python.

Finally, I found Lua more cryptic than Python for some design patterns.

Ah, I've forgotten to mention that the Lua core library is much more portable than Python.
Lua keeps an ANSI compatibility. Python is much POSIX.

[ Edited by Yomgui on 2010/12/9 23:05 ]