Python for use corporate ecommerce site?

[Gerhard Häring]

* stibbs <stibbs at nothanks.com> [2002-08-15 19:24 +0000]:
> Hi, I'm a developer/sys admin for a small company who is currently about
> to develop a new e-commerce system.

I've once been involved in a commercial eCommerce software written in
Java.

> I have no experience in applying python to an e-commerce related
> project.

Well, in my experience, an eCommerce solution consists of a backend
engine, and one ore more frontends (Web, SOAP, ...). Especially for B2B,
a SOAP/XMLRPC/... frontend is a good selling point.

> here are some of the things the eccomerce system must do or have:
> 
> have the ability to interact with oracle8i/9i, db2, postgresql.

There are DB-API 2.0 modules for each of these. Though it's not free,
you should probably investigate mxODBC in this case, as it provides
really uniform API for all of these databases.

> complete control of updating store items/advertisements-specials for the
> company running the system.

Well, just write an admin interface :)

> ssl/various crypto support

m2crypto/pyOpenSSL/Apache's mod_ssl

> and the main thing the project manager and also the other developers and
> myself are concerned about is that it must be as fast (in all areas) as if
> the system were done using mod_perl. The other developers and myself
> realize that with speed a major factor is the code itself, lets put
> that aside and just assume for this post that our developers are capable
> of programming in python "the right way" (although any links to the most
> efficient way to apply python are welcome).

My tip: Split up backend engine and frontends, then modularize each (db
interface, flow control, templating). Use existing frameworks instead of
inventing your own where available. _Then_ profile the code. _Then_
optimize. As said already, Zope might be an option.

> my questions are:
> 
> would we use python/mod_python by itself or use them in conjunction with
> c++?

Avoid C/C++ unless there is a real identified performance bottleneck.

> is there anything in the python world that is equal to the likes in
> functionality and stability as mason?
> 
> what are some useful urls pertaining to a project such as this one.
> 
> please give me any other suggestions you may have. ***I would especially
> appreciate unbiased advice from people who use multiple programming
> languages and who follow the motto that the right tool/s should be used
> for the job, not just one tool for everything***

Despite I am no great fan of the Java _language_, there's a lot of
commercial support for stuff in the Java environment, and for an
eCommerce system, going Java servlets/JSP and Jython might be an
interesting option. You'd have access to all databases via jxZDBC, could
make Java Servlets/JSPs less painful with something like Apache's
Struts, ...

Gerhard
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