Nemeth, I've seen you ask this question a couple times here and as you're getting no response, I figured I'd put my $.02 in despite a marked lack of experience in developing apps in Java. I can therefore only give a 10,000-foot perspective on why using Zope/Python might be a strategic advantage as opposed to using another app server that is built on Java/J2EE. 1. Zope is built on Python. Python is widely considered much easier to learn than Java and I've heard many folks say that building apps in Python takes less time than building apps in Java. 2. Zope and Python are open source software, unlike the combination of, for example, Netscape Application Server and Java. This means that if the company who sells you the app server (in the case of Zope, Digital Creations) bites the dust, you are not left holding the bag on a product that lacks support avenues. Worst-case, you may have to maintain the source yourself. In the case of Zope and Python, however, there is a fairly wide established user base, pretty much guaranteeing that you'll be able to communicate with other folks who've picked up the ball upon the (tragic) demise of the company who publishes the software. Think of it this way: would you like to be a cc:Mail shop right now? 3. For a good Java/NAS slam, go read Philip Greenspun's gracefully-titled "Why the Netscape Application Server Sucks" at http://www.photo.net/wtr/application-servers.html Good luck! Nemeth Miklos wrote:
In our department I have decided (as a CTO) to use Zope for an ecommerce application server. And I also would like to use it for another application for a customer. I will have a presentation about Zope and our plans in a 3-day technical conference of our corporation.
Can I have some (primarily technical) arguments why Zope is better to some (especially Java-based) specific web application server tool (WebSphere, Oracle Application Server, Oracle8i, NetDynamics, etc)?
I'd be very glad if some of you share his thoughts about the topic.
NM
-- Chris McDonough Digital Creations, Inc. Zope - http://www.zope.org