[Zope3-dev] Zope 3 Newsletter: Issue 10

[Jeffrey P Shell]

On Sunday, September 7, 2003, at 12:00  PM, Stephan Richter wrote:

> On Sunday 07 September 2003 12:56, Jeffrey P Shell wrote:
>> Except for Python Scripts.  This entry point here could be smoothed
>> over with a good "How to do scripting in Zope" document.  Most
>> 'scripters' are hopefully smart enough to latch on to the concept.
>
> You still have to change the mind-set of the scripter. Not everyone is 
> ready
> to do that when reading about Zope 3 and consider testing it. We need 
> to
> provide ways for an early success.

If they can get their heads around the concepts of an object database, 
a component framework, configuring virtual host monsters, etc, they can 
get their heads around this.

I doubt anyone is going to say "Man, I love the security of Zope 
(unique), I love the concepts of through the web development, I like 
the object database, I like having undo, I like that there are a lot of 
reusable components available that I can tweak the design for (unlike 
PHP which typically has pre-built applications but not much in the way 
of reusable code), but man - I wish it were more like PHP.  I'm not 
going to use it."

If someone wants PHP but in Python, there are a lot of competing Python 
technologies that are simpler, more focused, and have a lower resource 
overhead.  Those are going to be more attractive.  (I spell this out 
more in another post).

Zope stands out as a unique system for particular reasons.

But if someone really really really wants PHP, let them have PHP.  Just 
like - if someone's really really happy with Perl, let them  have it.  
We don't need to make Python more Perlish just to attract more users.

Seriously - more people are freaked out by the object database ("does 
this mean I can't use MySQL?") than they are by the scripting elements. 
  At least - that's the impression I got as man on the 
street^H^H^H^H^H^Hexpo.

If there are content space equivalents to Python Scripts in both their 
primary duties (returning values to display in page templates, or 
responding to URL's (form handlers)), then I'll drop my vehemence 
towards the script tag.  I just found it odd that we got the 'script' 
tag first, yet there's still concern about content space Python in its 
natural "As Guido Indented It" form.