Seeking Four Code Samples for Forrester Research Survey

In working up a response to the survey being conducted by Forrester Research on dynamic languages, there is a section wherein they want to see code samples. The samples must include all code written for the example, and URLs to any frameworks or modules used.

Their objective is to see how efficient/elegant the language is for developers. This is one area in which Python should excel.

1. Render a simple Web page containing text, data, and graphics, as specified in this wireframe mockup. With the myriad number of web frameworks for Python, this is hard but let's pick those a few that are most expressive, as the person evaluating it may not be familiar with Python per se, but be looking for readability.
   
2. Invoke a simple Web service and format/display the results. This can be either web services or REST, whichever one looks cleanest.
   
3. Create a mash-up that overlays local temperature data onto a Google map.
4. Create a simple form for data submission with fields and drop down selects and a submit button, as specified in this wireframe mockup. At least one field should be validated.

To help our community's standing in the survey, and perhaps promotion of your favorite web framework, please consider picking one of these or providing a trimmed down example of existing code. Send it via private email to me, and I'll get it included in the survey response. Forrester's deadline to us is by the end of this week, May 18th.

Thanks,

Jeff Rush
Python Advocacy Coordinator

A Call for Professional Trainers of Python

I am seeking to organize the list of those, both individuals and companies, who offer training on Python and related frameworks and technologies.

This is for those who provide classes, typically to businesses, as part of their professional offerings, in order to provide an answer to Forrester Research. They are surveying the various dynamic programming languages and want to know, essentially, how easily can an IT manager get his people trained up on Python in comparison to other languages.

There is a wiki page at:

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

with some training organizations. If your information is already there and current, no response is necessary. But if you are not mentioned, please update that wiki page so we can get an accurate accounting and hopefully send business your way.

Thanks,

Jeff Rush
Python Advocacy Coordinator

Need Help in Preparing for Study of Python by Forrester Research

Forrester Research is doing a study on dynamic languages and has asked that Python be represented. As advocacy coordinator I've volunteered to drive this, collecting answers from the community and locating representatives to participate in interviews.

The goal of the study is to:

• identify the criteria to use for evaluating such languages
• identify the relevant choices of dynamic languages
• identify how the different dynamic languages stack up
• examine where dynamic languages work best

Initially, they'd like feedback (not yet the answers themselves) from us regarding their proposed evaluation criteria - questions to add or that give no value, rewording to make them more clear. I've posted their draft criteria, which came as a spreadsheet at:

http://dfwpython.org/uploads/Forrester/DynamicLanguagesCriteria--Draft.xls

Later, between May 8 and 25, the researchers will need to interview via 1-hour telephone calls, several developers with experience using Python. And they want to also interview one person with an executive viewpoint, able to describe relevant background, positioning, value proposition, customer base, and strategic vision.

And later they would also like snippets of Python code that illustrate the power of Python, and I hope to call upon community members to help in producing that. The snippets do not have to be originally written and can be pulled from existing projects.

But those steps come later. For now let's focus on analysis of the evaluation criteria at the above URL. Time is short as they'd like that feedback by May 3, so please get any responses to me as soon as possible. And be thinking who would best represent the executive view of Python in an interview.

Thanks for your help,

Jeff Rush
Advocacy Coordinator