[mod_python] supporting modular mod_python extensions vs. "folding" mod_psp

> On Fri, 6 Jun 2003, Michael C. Neel wrote:
> 
> > I'll take a moment in this thread to plug Albatross
> > (http://www.object-craft.com.au/projects/albatross/) as the
> > "killer" template system for python, or at least a strong
> > contender.
> 
> The problem with Albatross for me is the same one with all the
> others - it is yet another language to learn:
> 
> <al-for iter="name" expr="keys">
>     <tr>
>          <td><al-value expr="name.value()"></td>
>          <td><al-value expr="environ[name.value()]"></td>
>     <tr>
> </al-for>
> 
> This is not Python. Nor is it HTML.

That is true.  If you restrict yourself to Python and HTML you are
forced to do something like this:

for name in keys:
    print '<tr>'
    print '  <td>%s</td>' % name
    print '  <td>%s</td>' % environ[name]
    print '<tr>'

That does not look bad until you build a semi-complex application.

You find yourself in the situation where you cannot change the HTML
presentation without refactoring the surrounding Python application
logic.  Likewise you find it next to impossible to change the
application structure without breaking the presentation.  The above
approach leads to the escalating difficulty and cost (in time and/or
money) of enhancements.

The introduction of a mechanism (or third "language") that allows
and/or imposes a clear interface between the presentation and
implementation increases the ability to change one without major
impact on the other.  This is a huge win for applications that will
change over time.

In the world of GUI application development the model-view-controller
approach has proven itself as a mechanism to manage the same
complexity.  It provides a clear separation of the GUI, the business
logic, and the code that glues them together.  Before the adoption of
MVC (and related patterns), applications tended to be an undisciplined
mixture of GUI and application code.  Over time companies that were
not able to enhance or evolve their products could not compete and
went out of business.  The approach to web applications encouraged PHP
(and similar approaches) is reminiscent of GUI application development
before MVC.

The Albatross approach to the "third" language is not perfect.  I am
not sure that any approach to achieving this separation is perfect.
In my opinion, if there was a perfect approach we would not be having
this discussion, we would all just use the perfect approach.

- Dave

-- 
http://www.object-craft.com.au