Is Python Dead?

[alan runyan]

> What exactly is "good database support?"  I haven't had a problem.

I think this is mostly due to the lack of centralization of python software
(ala CPAN).  I believe there are stable python modules to access pretty much
any database: oracle, odbc, sybase, bsdb (sleepycat),  solid, postgresql,
etc...  I thought python's database support was weak, but when i needed it
it always came through.

> I'm not a Zope user myself, but from what I've read about both PHP
> and Zope, it appears they are pretty much even in capability (hopefully
> an expert on the subject will comment here).

I'm far from an expert, but.. I do have an opinion.  From what I've seen in
PHPland, ZOPE compares pretty much feature-for-feature and then some!.  ZOPE
is a larger more comprehensive framework than any PHP 'framework'  that
exists (including eGrail or phpGroupware).  Remember: PHP is a web
programming language.  Python is a general purpose language.  ZOPE is a
python framework.  IMHO, Zope has suffered popularity because it refuses to
embed python (code) into the presentation layer (unlike PHP).  Also ZOPE is
100% object-oriented.  PHP isnt OO and reusibility is garnished from lots of
#includes (where as ZOPE has access to Pythons lib and ZOPE accessories and
there is hooks into using Perl from ZOPE also.. so you get Perl's DB support
as well).  PHP is faster, but it doesnt stack up in reusability, speed of
development, or flexibility (Python as you mentioned, we all consider to be
the best language on the net ;) in language design.  also, the ZODB is being
wheened off of ZOPE dependency and is starting to show signs of Standalone
distribution.  this is a __HUGE__ win for Python -- a trivially easy to use
object database.

> > Python needs better leadership in areas of its growth.  Python is truly
> the
> > best language in use today, except it still isn't very useful for the
> > largest solution sector, database access, and information presentation
> (web,
> > or otherwise).

uhm. I completely disagree.

information presentation I believe is fully covered by Python, nothing (that
I know of) comes close to the bredth of GUI support in Python: QT, GDK,
wxPython, TkInter, ?FOX?, and there are others! oh including Swing via
Jython.  On the web scene there is healthy competition: WebWare (which is
modelled after Java's Servlet design), ZOPE (which is a highly evolved
framework that comes with a transactional object database), Quixote and
quite a few others.  HTMLGen.  I believe mod_snake (?) is being kept up.
There is a hook into the Ars Digita system via Python.  I believe you can
present information using python in a myriad of ways -- its your choice ;)

~runyaga