[Zope] - Embedding Perl in Zope/Python?

[Jeff Bauer]

Jim Fulton:
> I assume that Perl has an embedding API. I'm guessting
> that it should be possible to "embed" (at least some
> part of) Perl in Python and make it available as a 
> Zope extension facility.

Many moons ago (before Spam-2!) in a prior company, we
embedded Perl in a C program to add scripting capability
to a set of applications.  This wasn't particularly onerous,
even before the era of decent documentation.

I don't think this would be a difficult task.  The Ruby
language already provides access to an embedded Perl
interpreter.  Thankfully, I can execute all my necessary
Perl scripts (those I haven't had time/inclination to
rewrite in Python) in a separate process space, where
God and/or Guido intended them to be.  

I would be slightly concerned that people who would want 
to use Perl scripts in this manner might unknowingly 
introduce conflicts/competition for system resources.
The reason for my concern is that I'm guessing that
people who have requested this feature are doing so
based on the notion that they have a Perl script that
performs some "blackbox" function.  After all, you 
certainly can't comprehend what the script is supposed 
to do simply by examining the source <0.4 wink>.

I wonder, too, if the people who want to execute Perl 
scripts would be willing to restrict this to mean Perl 
"CGI" scripts.  If the latter, it might be easier, safer, 
better, to provide a Zope CGI interface to the Perl 
CGI.pm module.  This would have the added advantage of
being implemented in Python.

Jeff Bauer
Rubicon, Inc.