Is Python in the browser a dead-end ?

[Amirouche Boubekki]

Héllo,

There was a thread recently about the missed opportunity for Python to be a
language that could replace Javascript in the browser.

They are several attempts at doing something in this spirit here are the
ones I'm aware of:

- pyjamas aka. pyjs it is to Python what GWT is to Java : http://pyjs.org/
- py2js which compiles Python to Javascript without high level widget like
pyjamas does https://github.com/qsnake/py2js
- skulpt unlike py2js and pyjs there is no compilation phase
http://www.skulpt.org/

And SubScript [1], which I am the creator, a Python-like language [2] and
Sissi [3] which aims at being the stdlib of SubScript, currently it's
implemented with py2js. It relies heavly on Google Closure tools [4]. I'm
planning to add streamer [5] support if I can wrap my head around it.

I'm done with self advertisement.

Before starting SubScript I gave it some thoughts, and I think that it can
bring value to web development.

Here are articles that backs up my vision:

- Javascript gurus claims that Javascript is indeed the "assembly" of the
web [6], which means that Javascript is viable target for a compiler

- Similar projects exists with Coffescript and ClojureScript which seems to
have the lead and are gaining traction in web development community. Dart is
another example.

- The thing that makes Javascript development difficult is that it's hard to
debug, but map JS [7] is making its way into Firefox which will help greatly


Why do people think that this projects are doomed ?

I ask this question to understand other point of views before commiting
myself at finish SubScript & Sissi, I don't want to code something that will
be useless.

Thanks in advance,

Amirouche

[1] https://bitbucket.org/abki/subscript
[2] currently Subscript code is parsed by Python parsing library the exact
same syntax should be supported
[3] https://bitbucket.org/abki/sissi/overview
[4] http://code.google.com/intl/fr/closure/
[5] https://github.com/Gozala/streamer
[6]
http://www.hanselman.com/blog/JavaScriptIsAssemblyLanguageForTheWebSematicMarkupIsDeadCleanVsMachinecodedHTML.aspx
[7] https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=618650
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