[Edu-sig] Django or Web2Py for PyWhip

[DiPierro, Massimo]

Mind that my opinion is biased since I am the author of web2py.

mod_python is now considered deprecated. WSGI is "the standard" for communication between web server and we app. Django was using mod_python and them moved to WSGI for example. mod_wsgi is the WSGI adapter for apache. All major python web frameworks today support WSGI.

web2py works on Google App Engine (GAE) better than Django. The reason is that the web2py Database Abstraction Layer works out of the box on GAE so you wrote your application once (with some care) and you can run the same app without modifications on GAE or a PC with relational database (we support 10 different ones). If you use Django you have to use the native GAE database API on GAE and therefore your code has to be different whether you run on GAE or on a relational database. It is possible that there is a database abstraction layer that works on GAE for Django but, if so, it does not come with it. In the case of web2py this is out of the box. GAE does not have joins but has ListProperty. If you want to use this you need some GAE specific code but you can still access this using GAE DAL API.

The Django admin (the strength of Django) used not to work on GAE. I do not know if that has changed. The web2py appadmin (loosely equivalent to Django's admin) does work on GAE.

Currently web2py has ~1750 registered users and more than 50 contributors. We estimate the total market share to be about 10% of Django's.

The book is now free online at http://web2py.com/book 

I am currently working on two projects using web2py funded by the Department of Energy. The SahanaPy project (disaster management system for Haiti) is also based on web2py.

I will be happy to answer more specific questions on the topic but I am in India for a physics conference and have limited connectivity. I have to be concise and canno check emails often until Monday. You may want to consider asking for some user experience on the web2py list http://groups.google.com/group/web2py.

Massimo

________________________________________
From: edu-sig-bounces+mdipierro=cs.depaul.edu at python.org [edu-sig-bounces+mdipierro=cs.depaul.edu at python.org] On Behalf Of David MacQuigg [macquigg at ece.arizona.edu]
Sent: Thursday, February 25, 2010 2:17 PM
To: edu-sig at python.org
Subject: [Edu-sig] Django or Web2Py for PyWhip

Since we are changing the name of the project from PyWhip to (PyKata,
PyPractice, PyJet, ???), now might be a good time to reconsider some
other basic choices.  App Engine seems to be the right choice for the
server foundation.  Anyone who has tried to develop a web app with
modpython will appreciate not having to worry about details like keeping
track of user logins.

The one major choice I'm still not comfortable with is the framework
Django vs. Web2Py.  We are currently using Django, because that was the
default providcd by App Engine.  Web2Py is also supported by App Engine,
but perhaps not yet as well integrated (I don't know).  The main issue
seems to be versatility vs simplicity.  My initial impression is that
Django is more versatile and Web2Py is simpler.  Django has the bigger
community of users, more published books, etc., but Web2Py is still
early in its growth.

We need a framework which will provide all the features needed for a
website like JavaBat.com, but will be simple enough that we have no
trouble finding web programmers to take over when our current developers
move on.  I'll let the folks who are ready to step up and do the work
make the decision, but if anyone has any experience, comments or
suggestions, now is the time.

-- Dave

************************************************************     *
* David MacQuigg, PhD    email: macquigg at ece.arizona.edu   *  *
* Research Associate                phone: USA 520-721-4583   *  *  *
* ECE Department, University of Arizona                       *  *  *
*                                 9320 East Mikelyn Lane       * * *
* http://purl.net/macquigg        Tucson, Arizona 85710          *
************************************************************     *


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