Zope & Python

[Charles Hixson]

Leon Booyens wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I asked one of our specialists if we should not consider using Zope instead
> of tomcat and Python instead of Java.
>
> His reply was as follows :
>
> Do you agree with all these comments ?
>
> Leon.
>
> The reply :
> Leon,
>
> I have had a look at the "Zope" application server at www.zope.org, and feel
> that it cannot be considered for use (on the server side) in an enterprise
> application because of the following weaknesses:
>
> The business-logic extensions must be written in Python, which is a fine
> "glue language" for whipping up scripts and small applications in as short a
> time and as few lines of code as possible, but is simply not robust enough
> for enterprise applications.  For example, it does not allow compile-time
> enforcement of interface specifications, as C++ and Java do.
>
> a) It does not even support the concept of private, protected and public
> instance variables and methods. The whole concept of "design-by-contract"
> relies on the availability of these features.  You cannot rely on
> programmers to have the discipline to comply with (nonexistent) interface
> specifications.
>
> b) If we develop web applications in accordance with the Java Servlet API,
> we can upgrade the platform from Apache+Tomcat running on Linux to Sun's
> Java Webserver, or IBM Websphere, or BEA Weblogic (BEA is the industry
> leader in OLTP middleware), or any number of other commercial
> implementations.  What is the upgrade path for Zope?
>
> c) Java allows a wide choice of compilers, debugging and profiling tools,
> modelling tools, middleware, and libraries for everything under the sun.  It
> is a mainstream language for commercial applications, with a relatively
> large pool of programming expertise and with support from most major
> industry players (besides Microsoft). Python may be gaining popularity, but
> is way behind Java.

If he wants a type safe language for large project that is securely compileable,
then I wouldn't recommend Java.  Try Ada.  (He could even mix Gnat and JGnat
:-).  OTOH, is this reasonable for the application?  (It doesn't particularly
sound like it.)
Python is a nice language for many purposes.  Perhaps for yours.  Java'a big
advantage is cross-platform printing capability.  Another big plus is the
garbage collection. (Thanks Python 2!)  And it has a lot of nice libraries
already written.  But calling it a compiled language is... misleading.  It
compiles to a pseudo-machine, just like basic, python, APL, BC-Algol, and
numerous languages that most people call interpreted.  It isn't type safe.  No
language that requires wanton and reckless type-casting is.  Much safer are
languages that either can figure out what the type is, or the require the
presence of Class-specific conversion  routines.

-- (c) Charles Hixson
--  Addition of advertisements or hyperlinks to products specifically prohibited


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