[Zope] Re: Good Object-Oriented Design Approaches For Zope Development?

[Andre Meyer]

As a Java developer for several years and Python/Zope developer for 
about half a year I would advise you to look at the file-system-based 
approach with ZPT. This comes closest to Java-style programming. You can 
use classes, unit tests, assertions, what-have-you with this approach. 
Be aware, that in Python files represent modules, while in Java they 
represent classes. Thsi may cause confusion. For the rest, get used to 
Python with the help of the cookbook ("pattern catalog"): 
http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Python/Cookbook/ and don't forget that 
Python is much more dynamic than Java, with all its pros and cons.

regards
Andre

Casey Duncan wrote:

>On Thu, 20 May 2004 23:48:44 -0700
>Allan Miller <amiller at a2software.com> wrote:
>[..]
>  
>
>>Terry - thanks for your clear, helpful, and very thought-provoking
>>response.  I will definitely look at the resources you mentioned in
>>your message.  What you wrote made me see that I have to learn to
>>start "thinking in Zope," understand specific Zope idioms and
>>approaches to problem solving.
>>
>>I think my original question wasn't specific enough.  Perhaps an
>>example would would make things clearer.  One category of products I
>>looked at were Zope discussion board products.  I expected to see
>>classes such as User, Forum, Posting, etc., that model the objects
>>that comprise a discussion board.  Instead, I often saw a ZPT form for
>>adding a user, and a PythonScript - something like addUser.ps -  that
>>builds a dictionary of user properties (username, password, country,
>>etc.) and adds it to the container (folder?) in which the PythonScript
>>resides.  Maybe I need to get used to the idea of systems being built
>>around Zope in folders, but I was looking for at least a User object
>>to encapsulate the properties that were stored in the dictionary, as
>>well as some methods to access them and model User "behaviors."  I'm
>>not trying to be an abstract O-O "purist," I just think that having
>>classes that reflect the problem domain makes it a lot easier to
>>understand, and hence modify or extend the system.  Thanks again for
>>your response.
>>    
>>
>
>In Zope there are basically two modes of development: 
>
>- Instance space development (as you describe above) takes existing
>"framework" objects like folders, files, property sheets and glues them
>together with templates and scripts. Also many instance space apps use
>relational databases to store and retrieve data via ZSQL methods. 
>
>- Filesystem product development describes the model using classes, by
>inheriting from framework classes rather than just reusing instances.
>There is also an instance-space way to do this via ZClasses, but these
>are best avoided IMO. On top of these model classes, templates and
>scripts are used for the "view" and "controller" aspects of your
>application. These scripts and templates are typically "environmentally
>inherited" using Zope acquisition. The CMF contains a "skins" mechanism
>which formalizes this a bit more and makes it more controllable.
>
>Most problems can be mapped to either space. In general instance space
>is good for prototyping or one-off mini applications. Products are best
>for generalized components (or even whole applications) that can be
>reused. The two techniques are often (maybe even always?) used together
>in Zope. You start with a filesystem model and layer policy and look and
>feel on top of it using templates and scripts. These scripts can be in
>the ZODB or the file system (if you use CMF skins).
>
>To use Zope effectively you must know both techniques. Often people
>start with instance space dev and either never leave it or move on to
>filesystem coded products. The latter is more formalized and thus may
>better fit what you may be used to from Java. Pretty much all of it is
>more formal and structured then Perl CGI ;^)
>
>hth,
>
>-Casey
>
>
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