http://www.python.org/doc/Summary.html is the canonical page to address the question, "What is Python?" Frequent Wiki contributor [CL] also covers Python often [http://www.phaseit.net/claird/comp.lang.python/python.html]. ---- What: Python Where: http://www.python.org/ Description: Object oriented scripting langauge which has a [Tk] module called Tkinter. Beginning at version v1.5.2, includes [IDLE], an integrated development environment for Python that requires [Tkinter]. Python 2.4 not only supports [Tk] on [Unix], but Tk on Windows and Macintosh platforms as well. The PythonWare site has an intro to Tkinter, as well as the binaries for win32 on its downloads page. The [ActiveState] site has binary distributions for Linux, Solaris and Windows. Currently at version 2.4 Updated: 1/2005 Contact: mailto:guido@CNRI.Reston.VA.US (Guido van Rossum) mailto:fredrik.lundh@image.combitech.se (Fredrik Lundh) ---- ''[escargo] 17 Feb 2003'' - For competition to using Tkinter, see the IBM DeveloperWorks page on PyQt[http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-qt/?ca=dgr-linuxw02QTPyQT]. ----- "Typcl [http://www.equi4.com/critlib/typcl.README] ... [[i]]s an extension to use Tcl ''from'' Python." [Elmer] goes the other way. [Elmer] allows developers to write code in Python and execute it in Tcl. The resulting Tcl interface to the Python code generated by [Elmer] is transparent to the Tcl user... Python calls appear as Tcl calls ( "foo( 1, "a" )" in Python appears as "foo 1 a" in Tcl, for example) and Python and Tcl data types are automatically mapped (Tcl lists are converted to Python lists, Python dictionaries are returned as Tcl associative arrays, etc.). [Elmer] also supports Python's "freeze" module, allowing a Python developer to deliver a single library consisting of several Python files "frozen" in to the Tcl application...no need to set PYTHONPATH or have Python source files accompanying the Tcl application. ---- [Bruce Gingery] mailto:bgingery@gtcs.com has an article that compares Tcl/Tk, Perl/Tk, and Python/Tk to early 1980's BASIC using a simple example at http://home.gtcs.com/%7Ebruce/old_pages/articles/BASIC_today/ [Frank Stajano]'s paper at the 1998 Python conference [http://www-lce.eng.cam.ac.uk/~fms27/ipc7/] had some useful insights into why he thinks Python's extensions are evolving faster and are easier to work with than Tcl's: http://www-lce.eng.cam.ac.uk/~fms27/papers/tr-1998-9.pdf. A paper on embedding Tcl, Perl or Python can be found http://www.morrisland.com/%7Emitchell/. Technical report evaluating the properties of 80 different implementations of the same program in 7 different programming langauges (C, C++, Java, Perl, Python, Rexx, and Tcl). See http://wwwipd.ira.uka.de/%7Eprechelt/Biblio/#jccpprtTR Erann Gat did a study of Lisp on the same problem. You can find his work at http://www-aig.jpl.nasa.gov/public/home/gat/lisp-study.html and you can see another Lisp solution at http://www.norvig.com/java-lisp.html ---- QuickStudy: Python Python is an object-oriented, open-source programming language often used for rapid application development. Python's simple syntax emphasizes readability, reducing the cost of program maintenance, while its large library of functions and calls encourages reuse and extensibility. http://www.computerworld.com/newsletter/0,4902,101390,00.html?nlid=APP -- Sidebar: Follow The Script Python is useful as a scripting language that glues together pieces from lots of programs. http://www.computerworld.com/newsletter/0,4902,101392,00.html?nlid=APP -- Sidebar: Zope Spurs Python Growth The popularity of Zope (Z Object Publishing Environment), an open-source Web application server and portal tool kit written in Python, has increased interest in the programming language. http://www.computerworld.com/newsletter/0,4902,101372,00.html?nlid=APP ---- See also: * news:comp.lang.python - a [USENET] interface to the Python mailing list * http://www.python.org/moin/PythonBooks - books on Python * [Comparing Tcl with Python] * [Accessing Tcl and Python from one another] * [Playing Python] * http://home.att.net/~stephen_ferg/thinking_in_tkinter/ * http://www.astro.washington.edu/owen/TkinterSummary.html ---- [Category Language]