Interesting comments about Py on LT

[Martin v. Loewis]

ny_r_marquez at yahoo.com (R.Marquez) writes:

> I read this comments about Python in Linux Today which went mostly
> unanswered.  I was wondering what your opinion on them is.  

As far as he mentions facts, its easy: those are either true or
false. For his opinions: like everybody else, he is certainly entitled
to them.

I'll try to sort that out below, even though not in order.

> Oh please. Python is a nice language and all, and has its uses, but
> it doesn't yet come close to filling Java's shoes.

That's mostly an opinion; it seems that he'd require that a language
to fill Java's shoes should provide a set of libraries. It is not
clear whether he'd require that those libraries come with the standard
distribution, or as add-on packages.

> (Sure, Python can do many of those things, but where're the standard
> APIs? Of course, Jython can borrow Java's...)

It is clear from this comment that he requires add-on packages to
provide a normed API.

> Does it have standard APIs for all of: database connectivity
> (regardless of DB)

Yes, there is a standard API for that (DB-API)

> remote method invocation

No, not a standard API.

> 2D graphics

Yes, Tkinter's Canvas widget.

> 3D graphics

Not a standard API.

> multimedia, 

Here I ask what an API for multimedia would do.

> XML, 

Yes, standard APIs - even before Java had them.

> CORBA,

Yes, a standard language mapping (Fnorb, omniORB).

> naming and directory services, messaging, distributed transactions,

None of these in a standard API.

> cross-platform GUI, 

Yes, Tkinter. Actually, more than one cross-plattform GUI.

> componentization (like JavaBeans), 

Yes, dynamic loading of modules is possible.

> subsetting for embedded applications, etc?

No need for an API: you have the full source to customize for an
embedded application.

> Give me a break. Python is nowhere near being able to handle what Java
> can. Name some excellent Python apps... I dare you. Name some real
> Python apps that are the result of a real development team and not
> just some pet project of a computer science student. You cant.

As an application: Zope, the Reportlab packages. Too many in-service
CGI applications to name them.

Regards,
Martin