Python Popularity: Questions and Comments

[Ron Stephens]

Good points, if Python had "food enough" database, gui, and web components
on top of Python, it coudl be a ture "killer language" for these times....

By the way, I am re-checking out PythonCard today, and i am impressed
again, especially tha tthe documentation has progressed quite a bit. Good
stuff....check out the documentation at
http://pythoncard.sourceforge.net/toc.html ...


robin at brainexeculink.com wrote:

> rcena at epcor.ca (Resty Cena) wrote:
>
> >Whichever can provide what it is that VB
> >developers like about VB on top of what Python and Ruby natively offer
> >will hit the jackpot. To me these are: (a) Visual drag-and-drop
> >application builder with data aware controls, and (b) good support for
> >the big databases (Oracle, Sybase, Informix).
>
> Yes.
>
> Snap-in database support -- not only for the big databases but for
> lightweight solutions as well -- makes VB popular. And it's a big
> reason people use PHP (to wander into another branch of this thread).
>
> Python needs standard database modules with a high degree of interface
> conformance -- more than what the current DB API provides. And these
> need to *work*. I can't tell you how much time our company wasted
> looking for the best PostgreSQL interface, for example.
>
> Since I'm talking databases, I wish someone with more time and brains
> than I would pick up the Gadfly project and bring it up to date. We
> need a pure Python SQL database. That too would help "sell" the
> language.
>
> As far as GUIs go, either Boa Constructor or something like the anygui
> project has the potential to be the Python "killer app".
>
> A third application domain that needs to grow in maturity and
> standardisation is server-side web pages. Not everyone wants to write
> their own framework (though I have). There should be an out-of-the-box
> module that easily integrates Python with Apache and takes care of
> most of the dirty work.
>
> Standardisation is more important than sophistication.
>
> I would love for all the brilliant Python contributors to stop right
> here at version 2.2 and put all their talents into these three areas.
> The core language is just fine, thank you. The existing modules are
> mostly very good. What is needed are database, gui, and web components
> to turn this language into a full development package.
>
> The payoff would be immense.
>
> >With VB.NET, VB
> >programmers will ask, "What's the point?" Might as well dive into C#.
>
> I did precisely one project in VB way back in version 2-3 days. It
> didn't take me very long to say "What's the point?" Then I went out
> and bought some C++ books. [shudder]
>
> VB is popular even though it doesn't work. PHP is popular even though
> it works in a small domain. But both products work "well enough".
> That's the key.
>
> Python does not yet work "well enough" in the most common problem
> domains. It requires too much wheel re-invention.
>
> -----
> robin
> robin at brainexeculink.com
> (remove "brain" to reply)