Python + Java Integration

[Ben Sizer]

Chas Emerick wrote:
> There is no doubt that Ruby's success is a concern for anyone who
> sees it as diminishing Python's status.  One of the reasons for
> Ruby's success is certainly the notion (originally advocated by Bruce
> Tate, if I'm not mistaken) that it is the "next Java" -- the language
> and environment that mainstream Java developers are, or will, look to
> as a natural next step.

Is it? I thought it was more along the lines of "you've been struggling
with Java to build web-apps all this time - here, have Ruby on Rails
which is much easier". Python provides just as much simplicity in the
web frameworks, but no consensus on what is 'best' (recent BDFL
pronouncement aside), and thus only a small community for each
framework. I bet that if Django or TurboGears had been fully ready for
prime-time before Ruby on Rails, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

As a language, Python is much closer to Java than Ruby is anyway.
People already migrate over to Python from Java in their multitudes,
bringing some odd assumptions with them. (eg. The whole thing about
'why isn't a Python static method equivalent to a Java class method?'
because they've been wrongly told that 'static' in Java signifies a
'class method', and because they never read the Python docs where it
clearly shows that classmethod != staticmethod. A bit of C++ knowledge
might have sorted them out here too, as it would have for many problems
encountered by people who were raised on Java, but I digress...)

> One thing that would help Python in this "debate" (or, perhaps simply
> put it in the running, at least as a "next Java" candidate)

Java itself never deserved to be the 'next' anything anyway. It was
sold on hype and has never lived up to it. I can see your point from a
business perspective but I like to think Python is sold on its merits
and not on being the new panacea for middle managers to deploy.

-- 
Ben Sizer