Python for large projects

[Paul Rubin]

claird at lairds.com (Cameron Laird) writes:
> You might also have occasion to learn about Pyrex and ... well, I'm
> in the Trotskyite wing on this question.  It's not just that Python
> can work for large projects.  I sincerely regard it as an even
> *better* comparative choice on large projects; C++ and Java, the
> usual com- petition, show all sorts of blemishes when one scales the
> size of the project.  Python remains usable, even at the high end.

I keep hearing this, but I don't see any large (much less very large)
applications that have been done in Python; Zope is medium sized.

Suppose you wanted to write any of the following:

1) Optimizing C/C++ compiler, like GCC
2) Full featured web browser, like MSIE or Mozilla
3) Full featured office suite, like MS Office or Open Office or KDE
4) Avionics for the space shuttle
5) Internals of a large telephone/data switch
6) Tax processing software for the IRS
7) Operating system kernel (Linux: the next generation)
8) Accounting software for a big bank
9) Full featured database like Oracle or Postgres
10) ... well you get the idea.

Which, if any, would you write in Python?  By "write in Python" I mean
the central framework and most of the code is written in Python,
though you're allowed to use the C API as needed.  Using Python to
provide some functions around the edges (e.g. the operator UI for the
phone switch) doesn't count.  Note that these are all supposed to be
used in production and not just as technology demos, so speed matters
(nobody wants a compiler that's 10x slower than GCC.  GCC is slow
enough already).

I think I'd spend some time at least considering Python in each of the
above cases, but I'm not sure I could convincingly make it fly for any
of them.