Python Rocks! and other rants 27.3.2004

Python or Jython?

I have just finished a pretty good size project using Jython and Java. It was my first Jython application and I think it was very successful.

Now I am starting a new project and trying to decide whether to use Jython again or to use CPython. It's a tough choice.

In favor of Jython:

• It fits in better with my company's Java culture.

• I love dom4j. I used if for the domain model in the last project. The integrated XPath is really handy.

• I like Velocity too.

So using Jython gives me access to familiar tools and to possibly useful legacy code from other projects.

On the other hand, Python has

• All the cool stuff from Python 2.2 and 2.3 like generators and enum

• Maybe better GUI toolkits (Tkinter and wxPython)

• Much faster! A program I wrote to explore the dataset is several times faster in Python than Jython.

• I don't have to deal with the cracks in the integration between Java and Jython.

Then there is always Groovy!