Python or ActionScript 3.0

[Jaseem]

Hi,

Is python similar to actionscript 3.0
Which is better to create a rich gui internet application?
Is it AS 3.0 with flex or python with its GUI libs?

Is python in demand?
Heard that python is similar to lisp. But both python and AS 3.0 is
almost identical. Which is more similar to lisp are powerful?

Thank You.

 

[Douglas Alan]

Is python similar to actionscript 3.0

For some very rough sense of "similar" it might be, but not really.

Which is better to create a rich gui internet application?
Is it AS 3.0 with flex or python with its GUI libs?

Python doesn't run in your typical web browser, but it is common to
use Python for doing the server-side programming, along with a Python-
based web development framework, such as Django.

You could use Jython to make a JVM applet that would run in a browser,
but JVM applets aren't very popular for a variety of reasons, and I
doubt the performance would be very good.

Is python in demand?

Yes, it's a popular language.

Heard that python is similar to lisp.

Kind of. Not any more so that JavaScript is, though, for instance.

But both python and AS 3.0 is almost identical.

No, Python and ActionScript are not "almost identical".

Which is more similar to lisp are powerful?

They both have their similarities and differences from Lisp. I think
it would be impossible to say which one is more similar to Lisp. In
general, Python is in my opinion more pleasant to program in than
ActionScript, but Python is not generally used for client-side browser
code.

I think the future of client-side browser programming is actually
JavaScript, not ActionScript, though that future may morph into one
that mostly uses JavaScript as a virtual machine. This is the approach
that Google Web Toolkit takes. It lets you write your client-side code
in Java, and that is then compiled into JavaScript.

|>ouglas

 

[Michel Claveau - MVP]

Hi!

Python doesn't run in your typical web browser

Yes, Python can do it... on Windows.
Two (examples) ways:
- ActiveScripting (PythonScript), include in PyWin32
- Gestalt (who mix Python, Ruby & Javascript, via Silverlight)

And alse, these two solutions run OK in HTA (HTml Application) for use HTML as GUI tool in local applications.

@-salutations

 

[paul]

Hi,

Is python similar to actionscript 3.0

Not really.

Which is better to create a rich gui internet application?
Is it AS 3.0 with flex or python with its GUI libs?

Flex+AS3 definitely! (it's been designed for that, no surprise here)

Is python in demand?

Depends. It seems quite popular in the scientific community and for
system administration these days.

Heard that python is similar to lisp. But both python and AS 3.0 is
almost identical. Which is more similar to lisp are powerful?

If python is 100m away from lisp, than it's 102.32m for AS3.

cheers
Paul

 

[Jaseem]

Jaseem schrieb:> Hi,


Not really.


Flex+AS3 definitely! (it's been designed for that, no surprise here)




Depends. It seems quite popular in the scientific community and for
system administration these days.


If python is 100m away from lisp, than it's 102.32m for AS3.

cheers
  Paul

Alright!

 

[lkcl]

Hi!


Yes, Python can do it... on Windows.

and linux. pyxpcomext. it's a bit of a pig, but perfectly doable:
http://pyxpcomext.mozdev.org/tutorials.html

Two (examples) ways:
- ActiveScripting (PythonScript), include in PyWin32
- Gestalt (who mix Python, Ruby &Javascript, via Silverlight)

michael, could you kindly update this page:

http://wiki.python.org/moin/WebBrowserProgramming

 

[lkcl]

No, Python and ActionScript are not "almost identical".

the AS 3.0 implementation is entirely missing declarative style of
programming: it is purely event-driven. i.e. you cannot get an AS 3.0
"command prompt" and start executing code, you can _only_ do "stuff"
as fired off and in reaction to user-driven events [in an adobe flash/
AIR application].

it would be impossible to say which one is more similar to Lisp. In
general, Python is in my opinion more pleasant to program in than
ActionScript, but Python is not generally used for client-side browser
code.

except by pyjamas developers. http://pyjs.org

I think the future of client-side browser programming is actuallyJavaScript, not ActionScript, though that future may morph into one
that mostly usesJavaScriptas a virtual machine. This is the approach
that Google Web Toolkit takes. It lets you write your client-side code
in Java, and that is then compiled intoJavaScript.

as does pyjamas. http://pyjs.org
this also compiles into javascript.
the source language: python.

l.

 

[lkcl]

Hi,

Is python similar to actionscript 3.0
Which is better to create a rich gui internet application?

can i suggest that you read this:
http://www.javalobby.org/articles/ajax-ria-overview/

and then take a look at this:
http://pyjs.org

pyjamas puts python onto the RIA roadmap as far as browsers are
concerned, and actually makes your question "make sense". without
pyjamas, your question simply wouldn't make any sense, because without
pyjamas, it is impossible to "program" a web browser in the way that
you envisage, leaving (as the other posters point out) either some
plugins or some server-side-only options.

l.

 

[lkcl]

as does pyjamas.http://pyjs.org
this also compiles intojavascript.
the source language: python.

oh - i forgot: there's skulpt as well.

http://code.google.com/p/skulpt.

skulpt aims to be a python interpreter (written in javascript) first,
with an aim to be a browser-based UI toolkit second.

pyjamas is the other way round (because it's more useful that way).

skulpt's current python compatibility, as a less mature project, is
not as good as pyjamas' "--strict" mode, where we have metaclasses and
a near-full implementation of type() etc.

it's fair to say that the more "python-correct" you get, the more
dreadful the performance of the resultant javascript. strict
typechecked prototypes (in python) a la lisp and a la compiled
languages would open the floodgates to keep the same performance as
the pyjamas -O option.

but - basically, both projects demonstrate that the features of each
language are at least interchangeable. this comes as somethin of a
surprise to many people. java on the other hand is dreadful. the
typechecking _seriously_ impedes progress, as the pypy developers
found out and can tell you more about.

l.