Is Python suitable for a huge, enterprise size app?

[Ivan Van Laningham]

Hi All--

George Sakkis wrote:
> 
> "Ivan Van Laningham" wrote:
> 
> An idea that perhaps takes the best of both worlds is use java for the
> high level architecture and static type interfaces, and write the bulk
> of the implementation in jython. PSF has awarded a grant to make jython
> catch up with cpython, and that's good news for making the transition
> from java to python smoother to a large audience. Others may have more
> to say on the pros and cons of going with java/jython instead of
> cpython, but it seems a good compromise to me.
> 

And another option that you'll find has a great deal of viability is
using Python in the build process.  Python's _wonderful_ to glue things
together, and its i18n capabilities are outstanding; I handled all the
internationalization and mock translation processes for a project near
the size you're describing in a dozen languages without working up a
sweat.  Python is easily called by Ant, it deals really well with
unicode & utf-8, can easily parse Java resource files and XML files, and
you can stick all this stuff together in a few hours to handle _really
big builds_.

It's been nearly a year since the project failed and the company riffed
60 people from our site besides me, and the java monkeys that are left
are still using my Python scripts, in the same state I left 'em.  They
can run them but they can't modify them.  And every time they have to
produce a new mock-translation build, they complain to their boss:  "We
used to have someone here who LIKED to do this stuff!  And who could fix
it when it broke!  We laid him off WHY????"

;-)

Metta,
Ivan
----------------------------------------------
Ivan Van Laningham
God N Locomotive Works
http://www.andi-holmes.com/
http://www.foretec.com/python/workshops/1998-11/proceedings.html
Army Signal Corps:  Cu Chi, Class of '70
Author:  Teach Yourself Python in 24 Hours