Is Python Dead?

[Chris Gonnerman]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Edward B. Wilson II" <ed at ewilson.com>

> I have been following Python for five years now, and I am still just as
> frustrated with it as I was in 1996.
>
> Python still doesn't have good database support,

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

> nor has it grown to be
> useful in the web space as mod_perl.

mod_perl is unlikely to be useful to me since I can't stand the
mess that Perl programmers call source code.  I suspect that many
Python programmers would agree.

> PyApache has been around longer than
> mod_php, yet php has far surpassed it as a productivity tool in the web
> space.

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).

> It would seem Python can do everything, yet nothing.  Everyone wants to
> write the next killer application with Python, XML parsers, image
> manipulators, super computer steering modules, yet no one wants to work on
> making Python perform where it matters most.  Python is the best language
at
> eclectic stuff, however, poor at bread and butter tasks.

This seems a bit broad to me.  I use Python all the time; when I am forced
to use another language I always see exactly why I don't like them.

When am I forced?  Sadly it seems that integrating any other language
directly into MS Access is out of the question.  (Am I wrong?  Someone
please tell me if I am!)

The only other time is when I must work with dBase tables... but I would
hardly typify that as not being "good database support".

> 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).

Here again, database access and information presentation aren't a problem
to me... is anyone else here having trouble with this?

> It seems that Python should strive to be great at the ABC's before it
> attempts poetry.
>
> --Ed