Inside the Houdini Help there is a “Reference Expression cookbook”.
It begins with the following adwise:
“This cookbook refers to the old expression language. For information on Python expressions, see the Houdini Object Model section.”


For me this adwise was a bit like a warning bell.
What is to say about the relationship of this “old expression language” and Python? Will it be replaced by Phyton expressions?


If you are a Houdini beginner like me:
is it worth to learn the old expression language or is better to beginn directly with python?

It´s obvious that 99% of the expressions that are used in 99% of the available Houdini tutorials are written with that “old expression language”. (yes: I like to overdraw)

I´m a bit afraid now:
As a beginner you theoretically have the chance to start learning from a very contemporary level.
Now I´m a bit afrait that when it comes to expressions it comes mostly to a very antiquated level!

Woud be nice to get some advise!
Greetings Nils




PS
My First Topic

learn HScript (old exp language)
as the most tutorials use it, it has shorter syntax, easier to understand the principle behind expressions, later when you'll need Python for expressions, it would be very easy to adapt, since principle is the same just different syntax

learn python as well because you need it for tool building, more complex expressions and many cool stuff

last time i tested, HScript was many times faster than equivalent Python expression, so I still use HScript and I hope that when Python will be the main expression language, it wouldn't be slower than HScript

and if there was a chance that HScript will not be available in near future they wouldn't be doing this http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1500&Itemid=132 [sidefx.com] so I think it's safe for now to enjoy simplicity and speed of HScript

PS
Welcome to the forum

Oh, thanks for this fast answer!

good to hear some statements!

Hscript isn't going anywhere.

When you save a scene file, it saves it using hscript commands.
When you render out an ifd file to send to Mantra, it's in hscript.
Expressions in parameter fields evaluate faster than Python and for simple things, is much easier to type out, debug and learn. You can use local and global variables directly.
The default expression language for parameters is still hscript for a reason.

The Expression Cookbook is a fantastic resource that is still relevant.

Hope that gives you the confidence to plow ahead with hscript.

Now Python is fantastic when you need to build tools that use re-usable functions, something that is tedious with hscript. Tools use Python for example.