[Zope] Unusual question

[Michel Pelletier]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tom Deprez [mailto:Tom.Deprez@uz.kuleuven.ac.be]
> Sent: Friday, March 26, 1999 5:09 AM
> To: zope@zope.org
> Subject: [Zope] Unusual question
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> This is (I think) an unusual question on this thread, but I 
> want to ask it.
> 
> We are at the start of making an intranet, which will contain 
> a database of
> procedures (how to handle some examinations etc). We want to 
> make it able
> that people can query this database and get the information 
> they want on
> there web-browser.
> 
cool.

> A day ago, we were confinced that PostgresSql with PHP3 (www.PHP3.org)
> would be the solution to this problem. This on a RedHat Linux 
> 5.2 system
> with Apache as
> web-server. But now we've seen Zope. I'm wondering..., can 
> Zope do the same
> things as PHP3? 

It can do the same thing, and more.  This isn't a hack on PHP3, but Zope
has many more components and widgets out of the box.  It's also object
oriented, which helps when your components scales, or when you want your
application to suddenly be stitched into four other application six
months from now that you didn't forsee.

>Or is this a complete different application? 

PHP has it's niche.  Tony 'tone' McDonald mentioned that he thought code
inside HTML is elegant, and it is, but it's even more elegent when that
code is for the layout of your user interface only.  Mixing application
code with HTML, or worse yet, making your entire HTML document one huge
script, is not so elegent.

> How stand Zope
> and PHP3 next to each other?
> 
> I believe PHP3 is a scripting language... I'm wondering : is 
> Zope also only
> a scripting language? Or is it more? Is the scripting 
> language (=Python?)
> more powerfull then Zope)

Zope is an Application written in a scripting language (Python) that is
based on several components also written in Python and C.  One of the
components of Zope is Document Templates (DTML) which is also a
scripting language.  It's a bit complex, much more so than PHP's
underlying system.  Tony also mentioned that PHPs database itegration is
excellent, and I'd like to add that Zope's is also top notch.  A
particular nice thing about Zope is it's database abstraction layer,
what we call Database Adapters.  You can write program for any SQL
server and just change the DA when you change databases.  Or your app
could use two databases transparently; the DTML programmer wouldn't need
to know which database is being queried, it would just be a case of
calling the write SQL methods.

This also give some compartmentalization.  Your Python expert writes
your external methods, your SQL expert manages DAs and writes ZSQL
Methods, and your DTML/user interface expert uses all of these methods
to layout the application.

> 
> Are there people, using PHP3 next to Zope? 
> 
Comming soon.  The problem is (rumor has it) that Apache sends Zopes
output directly back to the browser, not giving it a change to run
through any other handlers, like the PHP one.

> ps. Has Zope the capability to easely make these scripts? I mean not
> text-based , but in a certain IDE or RAD application?
> 
There is a web based interface.  The (IMO) ultimate programmer interface
is emacs, which can use Zope with FTP (if your using ZServer).

> Please, say in some simple words what Zope is and for what it can be
> used... I've read the web-page. But since I'm a stupid person 
> in this field
> of webservers I can't understand what they are explaining.
> 
Whew.

Zope is a web application platform.  It is a framework for writing
applications over the web.  It is more than this, because it supports
more protocols than HTTP, but for your purposes you can call it a web
app platform.

Zope provides you with a standard set of services that your application
can build on.  Services include DTML, trasparent persistence of your
data, interface to databases, a management interface for developing and
managing your application, and a whole slew of out of the box objects
for you to use (like documents, files, methods, DAs, mail transport,
etc...)

Many people have mentioned Python in responses to your question.  Python
is an incredible language, but I think the application you described can
be done easily in Zope with no Python at all.  All you need is DTML,
some ZSQL Methods, and a good design and your done.

-Michel

> Thanks in advance.
> 
> Kind regards, Tom.
> 
> 
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