Java Developer Exploring Python

[Ravi Teja]

>> I've traditionally been a Java developer, although I play around with LISP.

For most java developers, understanding dynamic typing is a big step.
Your Lisp background however would mean that you will pick up Python
very quickly.

>> I recently migrated to Linux and I was exploring Mono as an
option for development on Linux. However, I've had some problems with
the maturity and support when working with Mono.

IronPython (still a beta) BTW, runs on Mono as well and you can use
Mono through Python when you deem it ready. There is also Jython, which
runs on the Java platform if you feel married to Java platform or class
libraries.

>> Is Python actively developed and supported on Linux?

Yes and very well so. Many Linux distributions come with Python
pre-installed and Python has quite a bit of following in the Linux
crowd. Red Hat / Fedora installer - Anaconda, for example uses Python.

>> Would it be a viable option for cross-platform application development?

Python is a very good candidate for open source development. But then
again, most open source languages these days are. The culture is a bit
different though. Although Python is byte code compiled just like Java,
Python programmers are not averse to using native extensions (which in
most cases can be compiled painlessly on all popular platforms thanks
to Python's distutils). Java programmers on the other hand generally
extol 'Pure Java'. Both approaches have their own advantages and
disadvantages (Swing vs SWT) and you can use either with Python.

>> Can anyone recommend an open source IDE for Python that runs on Linux?

Most Python IDEs are open source along with a few commercial ones.
http://wiki.python.org/moin/IntegratedDevelopmentEnvironments
Everyone has their favorites and you should pick your own.

Since you have a Java background, PyDev is probably the best choice for
you. JEdit also has a Python plugin. I just use SciTE (just an editor)
most of the time.