+-------[ Sean McGrath ]---------------------- | All, | | I have had a number of e-mails from developers | using Microsoft ASP in recent days. The paraphrased consensus | in the e-mails is that the external | methods/python methods approach to mixing markup | with code in Zope is more clunky than in ASP where | you can intermingle the two at will. So don't use External or Python Methods. They are a small part of Zope, and are usually used to do some complex logic or calculation. It is not normal to embed markup inside of Python or External methods. I would suggest your developers have a lack of understanding of how Zope operates, and also have a fear of the unknown and are grasping for reasons not to use Zope. If the best they can come up with is External Methods are more clunky than ASP, and you don't need External Methods (not everyone does), then you have a winner. | Has anyone written anything on this topic I could | point them to? If you're really talking Python Products and not Python Methods, then your developers really have no idea. Abstracting business logic into an object which can 'render itself' in HTML if required, and can be customised without using python to render in different ways, is obviously a better idea than logic+markup in scattered files (and I don't just point the finger at ASP here). Quick and dirty, sure you can something a little more complex in ASP a little faster. If you have a large project, and you want it maintainable, then this is not going to work for you, and I'm speaking from experience here (30 + guys on one ASP project). -- Totally Holistic Enterprises Internet| P:+61 7 3870 0066 | Andrew Milton The Internet (Aust) Pty Ltd | F:+61 7 3870 4477 | ACN: 082 081 472 ABN: 83 082 081 472 | M:+61 416 022 411 | Carpe Daemon PO Box 837 Indooroopilly QLD 4068 |akm@theinternet.com.au|

Sean Just ignore them. I used to be an ASP developer myself not long code ago. What do you mean "intermingle"? If you want to loop though a list or db-table row, you will have to "intermingle" your good old <TD> and <TR> tags. There is no way of getting around that in ASP as far as I know, unless something amazing has happens since I left the community. Yes, markup tends to be mixed with external/python methods. I guess that is out of conveniece only. You could: <table> <dtml-var "externalmethod()"> </table> ...if you really want to make the externalmethod() generic... <table> <tr> <dtml-in "externalmethod()" sort=whaoo> <td><dtml-var sequence-item></td> </dtml-in> </tr> </table> What ever you like! Take control over your code. Don't let the code take controll over your options. Zope coding feels like "do it either way". ASP coding feels like "do the one and only way". Maybe "your" ASP developers, have seen external/python methods written by people who use the method for themselfs (not caring about reusing the method again), but has decided to let other developers use it. Maybe? Take care, be strong, Peter

All,

I have had a number of e-mails from developers using Microsoft ASP in recent days. The paraphrased consensus in the e-mails is that the external methods/python methods approach to mixing markup with code in Zope is more clunky than in ASP where you can intermingle the two at will.

Has anyone written anything on this topic I could point them to?

regards, Sean

http://www.pyxie.org - an Open Source XML Processing library for Python

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