Portability of Python (VS.Net, Java etc.)

[Dave Kuhlman]

srijit at yahoo.com wrote:

[snip]
> I was just wondering that if Python has to be compatible to MS.NET
> does it mean
> that
> 
> 1) Python should be re-written C# like Jython has been written in
> Java ?
> 
> But my bigger concern is about the term "Portability". More than
> OS, it looks like frameworks/VMs (.NET and Java ) are getting more
> dominant today.
> 
> So for middleware like Python (though Python script runs on its
> own VM) should be compatible with both the frameworks in order to
> remain practically portable.
> 

Of the two frameworks mentioned (MS .Net and Java) we already have
Python in Java.  So, before doing Python in/on MS .Net it would be
worthwhile to ask whether Python in Java (Jython) has succeeded.
In order to answer that, we need to specify what we mean by success.

My belief is that Jython has succeeded in producing usable code.

But, is it used?  And, does it result in Python being more popular?

Are there projects and project groups out there that had a
requirement to work with Java but chose to do their work in Jython
rather than Java.  And, of those that did so, were these projects
successful.  Was using Jython a net gain over using Java itself?
Or, eventually, did they re-write all the Python code in Java? Or,
did they wish they had?  Or, did they leave behind code that was a
burden to Java developers that came after them?  Or, ...

I'd choose Python.  But, I'm a Python zealot.

Ask yourself this question:  Would a consultant or contractor who
had no ideological commitment to Python (which I do) choose to work
in Jython over Java, and why?

And, if you cannot come up with positive answers to the above
questions (positive for Python/Jython), then why should anyone do
Python in MS .Net?

One additional consideration is that a consultant/contractor can
bill more hours if Java is used than they can if Python/Jython is
used, because development in Java is slower than development in
Python.  So, why would the consultant/contractor choose Python over
Java?

I'd like to hear that Jython has been enormously successful at
making in-roads into the Java world, but I'm skeptical.

Oh, and on comp.lang.perl, do you think they worry that Perl will
die if it does not play well in the Java and in the MS .Net worlds?

  - Dave

-- 
Dave Kuhlman
http://www.rexx.com/~dkuhlman
dkuhlman at rexx.com