where will jython fit !

[Rishi Singh]

Hi all,
1.)As a Server side developer,who is mainly concerned with the J2EE framework or as a client side developer who is mainly concerned with J2SE framework,where exactly will Jython fit in and what for precisely it would be used in an application development.
2)If its interpreted then what are the benefits of it using over other scripting language such as javascript,perl
3)How can it speed up application development
4)If it is a combination of Java(which needs a VM)
and a scripting lang(which needs a interpreter), how does it function.....how does the interpreter combines with VM and vice versa.
Rishi Singh
SCPJ,SCWCD

[SoonAnn Lim]

Hi Rishi,
Although i don't have answers for all of your questions, I would like to present some of my humble opinion about some of your questions. In fact Bill has some information for your question number 1 the reply to my previous post.
I don't think javascript is comparable to python, jython and perl. Javascript executes on client browsers while Python, Jython and Perl execute on server side. You can vaguely classified javascript as client side scripting language as oppose to server side scripting language like Python, Jython and Perl. Of course there are other scripting languages. Usually you will see arguments or comparison between Python(Jython) and Perl. Python is a better constructed OO scripting language and Perl is more intuitive. Personnally, i feel python code is more readable than perl and easier to maintain for large application(may not true for every individual). A nice feature about Python/Jython is you can break down your code into small pieces and debug quickly using interpreter. Java does not have this feature. (I really like this feature and it really speeds up your development process, at least for a poor programmer like me.). A feature i like about scripting language is the string manipulation, especially the regular expression. So far i have not encountered other languages that can do a better job in string manipulation like Perl and Python/Jython.
The 4th question involves some internal operation of Jython, and of courses Bill will give you a better explanation. If anybody sees mistakes in my writing, please feel free to correct me, so i will not make the same mistake in the future.
Regards

[Rishi Singh]

Hi Lim,
Well I agree with you that its a server side scripting language with OO features , well the ssame can be achieved with javascript on the server side through Live Connect(but it becomes too cumbersome to keep a control and that too it becomes specific to Netscape).So is jython the answer of having the power of perl on the server side and still having the platform independent feature,if its so then it would be a definite must for every java developer. Again the question arises how do i use in conjunction with the java code on the server i.e servelets,jsp,ejb

[Matthew X. Brown]

Can people list practical applications for jython?
So far- I see it as a prototyping type language. You can get something out the door fast, but its not a "production" app. Or are there some other applications that it might be suited for- how does it work with web and ejb containers?

[SoonAnn Lim]

Hi,
Actually, i am not very familiar with Jython at this moment and all my opinion comes from a view of a python and Java programmer. Bill may have more accurate answer whether Jython is a definite for Java developers.
I am not very sure how Jython can be helpful in servlet,jsp and ejb development. However, if you were going to crank up a cgi scripts and also use some classes you have developed before or to use some excellent classes in jdk, all you need is a unix machine(apache, python and perl) comes as default with jdk. You will be able to get the site up and running in no time(over exagerated). Of course Java can do the same job, with some extra steps. Maintenance is also another issue.
As a natural response, if you know python and java to certain extend, you will automatically pick up Jython in a short time.
I am sorry that i don't have a definite answer for you questions. I am also eager to find out how Jython can be used in servlet/Jsp/ejb.
Regards,

[Robert W Bill]

It is hard to see Jython's niche. The problem is that Python itself is a full-featured, general programming language suitable to most tasks. Does that mean Jython is suitable to any task? Actually, because Jython has full access to Python and Java, it fits a huge number of situations.
However, what I would encourage is thinking
of Jython as an ideal compliment to Java. It works great as a server-side scripting language inside Java servers. It is excellent for unit testing and for interactive evaluation and testing of Java classes. Embedding Jython in Java applications as a means of automation or extension is very common and successful. Jython is great for prototyping, and quickly writing guis.