I was casually negotiating through our code base and noticed that all

the Python files were larger than the Java files. It averaged 10k

lines for Java and 30k lines for Python. Notably there were a number

of VERY LARGE Java files that were auto-generated, and the median file

size was closer to 5k. Python files were more uniform.

Obviously Java restricts public classes to their own files whereas

Python doesn't, so there is a forcing factor there. But it just didn't

feel right. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the average

Python class was also much larger than the average Java class. 

The bit that stands out most vividly for me is the number of massive,

in-line Python methods. Lots of methods that are 200 lines. Very few

in Java. And in the several cases where I have translated the Python

into Java, I broke those puppies up. (I can't read and understand

methods that are that large. Maybe I'm just not very smart?)

The authors of the Python and Java code are all the same. We all write

in both languages. In general, the type of code is the same in both

languages.

So why are the Python files so big??

-Bil