[Zope] mixing python and DTML is hellish!

[kosh@aesaeion.com]

On Fri, 1 Mar 2002, Peter Bengtsson wrote:

> I actually agree very much with Chris on this DTML vs. ZPT.
> My experience is this:
>
> - ZPT has more advantages that DTML in total
> - ZPT has disadvantages
> - DTML is for quick and dirty publishing, ZPT is for more serious
> longlasting things

Why do you think DTML is quick and dirty and ZPT is more serious?

> - DTML is easier to understand for the novice (or is it because ZPT is not?)

I find DTML easier overall then ZPT which is not a bad thing for any level
of use.

> - A site with DTMLed templates tend to be a big bunch of templates and ZPT
> seems to be fewer with many more Python Script objects

That is because DTML is often abused that is not an inherent flaw in DTML.
Most of my work tends to be in python scripts that get called by DTML.

> - ZPT is less suited for the little textarea editing
> - DTML is less suited for Dreamweaver and such which is after all pretty
> important if we want to get paid for our work.

Dreamweaver and that kind of editing doesn't matter to me at all since
neither we or any of our customers use that.

>
> So, conclusion:
>   * ZPT for longer lasting more scalable sites

Why do you think ZPT is longer laster or more scalable?

>   * DTML for quicker things where workflow and stuff like that doesn't matter
>

Not sure what you mean about workflow but I do find DTML quick to develop
and it does work well long term. Overall dtml-var, and dtml-call are about
the only calls I actually use in dtml anymore.

> Peter
>
>
> Oh! One other thing. A clearly negative thing about ZPTs is that it seems
> more difficult to learn and understand. I.e. the usability of ZPT is worse
> than DTML and I know that exactly this is something Zope.com does not want
> happening to Zope.
>

That topic has come up a good number of times in irc.openprojects.net
#zope