The Major LeaguesPython, once a relatively obscure open-source language, may be just what your organization needsby Michael J. Hudson Continued from Page 1 With Python, you see an increase in development speed while sacrificing little. It is truly an object-oriented language that can be used for everything from simple scripting duties to complex development tasks that you would normally turn to Java or C++ to accomplish. In fact, with its ability to dynamically type and bind as well as introduce object behavior at run time, many argue it's truer to the object-oriented paradigm than other languages. In addition, you can integrate Python with other languages in no time at all. You can extend the language right out of the box using C or C++. An implementation of Python is also written in Java — it's called Jython — which lets you easily intermingle Java with your Python code. You can even develop Python within Microsoft's .Net framework using ActiveState's Visual Python. Reasons for ObscurityAs you can see, Python has a lot going for it. So why haven't you heard more about it? Well, it's definitely not the fastest performing language — although, keep in mind that this complaint was also leveled against Java. However, you need only to take one look at the seemingly exponential increase in computer speed to know that these hardware improvements more than compensate for any slowdown in performance for many types of applications. Perhaps the main reason this language has been flying under the radar for so long is its strong association with the open-source community. In general, organizations and managers need time to feel comfortable before using any open-source technology. The current ubiquitous nature of other open-source successes such as Linux and Apache's Web server has given Python a lot of momentum. One of the most common complaints with open-source technologies is that they lack support. With Python, a number of Web sites are available to answer most of your questions and offer free tutelage. And don't forget the ever-present Usenet groups that are also an indispensable source of knowledge about Python and almost any other commonly used open-source technology. Although commercial support for Python is in its early stages, numerous businesses are actively providing a high level of language support for Python, most notably, companies such as ActiveState and SecretLabs AB. Twisted and ZopeThe two most impressive achievements of Python to date are the Twisted framework from Twisted Matrix Laboratories and the Zope content management system from Zope Corp. Twisted can be essential to developing strategic business applications in Python because it provides a networking development framework that integrates a collection of services commonly used in the enterprise, such as Web servers, mail servers, instant messaging systems, relational database interfaces, user authentications, object brokers, and Internet Relay Chat servers. It supports almost all existing networking protocols and provides hooks for integrating new ones. You can develop and integrate almost any distributed application with Twisted's own set of services and have it all running within the same process. It's open source. It's free. And it's only half a megabyte in size! Talk about efficiency! Zope is another good open-source asset to have when building strategic business applications in Python. Essentially, Zope is an application server that specializes in intranets and portal applications. At its root, it's a collaboration engine that facilitates the use of dynamic Web applications that let you create the ultimate content management system. In fact, it has just recently won Linux Journal's 2002 Editor's Choice Award for enterprise application servers. Companies such as General Electric, Bank of America, and Verizon Wireless and government agencies such as the U.S. Navy, NATO, NASA, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are currently using Zope in their organizations. With enterprise-level development tools such as Zope and Twisted, it's obvious that Python has come a long way since its humble beginnings. In fact, a large portion of Google's search engine is written in Python. With its clear and concise syntax, ease of reuse, and modularity, Python speeds up development time, thus reducing a software project's time to market. If you want your development staff not only to be more productive, but also be able to easily integrate applications across the enterprise, Python just might be your solution. Michael J. Hudson [mjhudson@praxiseng.com] is a software architect for Praxis Engineering Technologies, a software architecture firm based in Annapolis Junction, Md. His current work includes developing enterprise architectural solutions for both commercial and government clients. RESOURCESActivestate: www.activestate.com/support Jython: www.jython.org Origins of Python: www.pythonlabs.com/doc/essays/foreword.html Python Business Forum: www.python-in-business.org Python's official web site: www.python.org Secret Labs: www.secretlabs.com Tutorial for nonprogrammers: honors.montana.edu/~jjc/easytut/easytut Twisted: www.twistedmatrix.com Zope: www.zope.org
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