[Web-SIG] Re: Regarding the WSGI draft

[Paul Moore]

Ben Sizer <brsizer at kylotan.eidosnet.co.uk> writes:

> I've read through the draft and most of the messages on this list that 
> followed it. However, I have a basic problem with it which I will 
> attempt to summarise below.

[...]

> What I'd like to see is something mirroring the Python Database API. For 
> instance, I might have to change "import MySQLdb" to "import pyPgSQL" 
> but I know that 99% of the rest of the database code will work fine. As 
> a web developer I would like to be able to change "import cgi" to 
> "import mod_python" or "import fastcgi" and know that, if I follow a 
> standard set of calls, I will have a simple and standard way of 
> producing a web document.

I have some reservations, as well. My perspective is as a web
application *consumer* rather than a developer. I have a server which
runs MoinMoin and Roundup (among other web apps). MoinMoin runs under
mod_python, whereas Roundup runs as its own server, accessed via
Apache and mod_proxy. If I wanted to add PyBlosxom, I'd need to run
it as CGI (which, given the server hardware, is horribly slow). The
variety of servers and backends gets hard to manage (and that's just
with 3 applications!)

I'd much prefer to only use one underlying architecture (probably
mod_python), but Roundup and PyBlosxom don't support it. Ben's idea
of application writers being able to easily support multiple servers,
much like the DB API supports multiple backends, would be a real
bonus for me, as it would make it far more likely that I could do
something like this. (Either because application writers would
include additional support, or because it would be simple enough for
me to add it myself).

I get the impression that the WSGI idea of layering and middleware
might make this more likely in the longer term, but I don't see how it
might happen. It certainly doesn't make it seem like something I could
do for myself with an existing application. Maybe I'm missing
something crucial here, but I'd certainly like to see this clarified,
if it's the case.

Paul
-- 
"Bother," said the Borg, "We've assimilated Pooh."