Java vs Python

[Courageous]

> I would just like to know how serious python is taken in the IT industry 

Python hasn't even made their radar.

> If a web applicatoin was written in both Java and Python,
> which would companies prefer ?

Duh. Java. This is because IT professionals pick products
that they can't get fired for picking. An old setting in
the IT industry: "nobody ever got fired for picking Oracle."

> 1. Which is more maintainable ?

Python. No comparison.

> 2. Which is more scaleable ?

Hrm. Hard to say. Do keep in mind that a lot of your python
can connect to third party tools at native speeds, if you
learn a trick or two.

> 3  Which is faster eg. Java servlets or Python CGI with mod_python ?

Someone who's tried both will have to answer this one. Python
can be kind of slow. The primary question to ask yourself at
this point is how performance critical your application is.
 
> about to start a major web project using Java but have been referred
> to python as an alternative so I am investigating this option.

Well if it's performance you want, ASP and embedded COM is
probably what you want.

*running for cover*.





C/