(OT) RAD Python Development Environment
(OT) RAD Python Development Environment
My first language is definitely pascal / Delphi, but over the last couple of years I've done quite a bit of data analysis using Python. It's truly amazing for data analysis, and as a language I love the readability and focus on simplicity. It's also now number one on Stackoverflow for questions (https://goo.gl/YHPko9). The biggest drawback when developing in Python is the lack of RAD type tools. It's a real pain to develop a GUI using Python (it can be done - just not easily). This is probably due to Python strong focus on being cross-platform.
So here's my questions...
Has Embarcadero considered leveraging the Firemonkey technology to create a RAD cross-platform Python development tool? Even though Python is free, I think a RAD Python environment would be extremely popular. Any thoughts Marco Cantu
Steve
My first language is definitely pascal / Delphi, but over the last couple of years I've done quite a bit of data analysis using Python. It's truly amazing for data analysis, and as a language I love the readability and focus on simplicity. It's also now number one on Stackoverflow for questions (https://goo.gl/YHPko9). The biggest drawback when developing in Python is the lack of RAD type tools. It's a real pain to develop a GUI using Python (it can be done - just not easily). This is probably due to Python strong focus on being cross-platform.
So here's my questions...
Has Embarcadero considered leveraging the Firemonkey technology to create a RAD cross-platform Python development tool? Even though Python is free, I think a RAD Python environment would be extremely popular. Any thoughts Marco Cantu
Steve
There is a great feature matrix with plenty of tools at https://stackoverflow.com/q/81584/29290
ReplyDeleteA better choice might be Nim - no runtime, Python-like syntax and influenced by Delphi. It uses a C-compiler at the backend (there are a few you can choose from). I'm looking at it for building data analysis DLLs I can call from my Delphi app.
ReplyDeletenim-lang.org - Nim programming language | Nim
"Has Embarcadero considered leveraging the Firemonkey technology to create a RAD cross-platform Python development tool?"
ReplyDeleteOk, where to start with this? When Borland initially spun off Delphi into the CodeGear company, they were interested in offering products for other languages. They weren't exactly successful with their first offering ("Delphi for PHP"), but the concept was a good one (it's worked for JetBrains). Unfortunately, with the acquisition all interest in products for other languages seemed to disappear. There were no more attempts.
Second, I believe they made a very shortsighted mistake not making Firemonkey a cross-language framework with bindings available for many languages. Again, it would have brought in a lot of extra cash from users of other - and let's be honest, more popular - languages. Instead, they've ceded that ground to Digia and Qt.
Third, have you tried working with Qt? There are pyQt bindings that are free for open source projects and Digia is reviving the LGPL pySide bindings to update them for Qt5 and it should be released later this year. Qt offers a Qt Creator GUI tool with their IDE that's fairly decent,
Fourth, I've said lots of nice things about Python and Embarcadero doesn't like me very much, so you'll hear lots of derision if you bring up Python. Don't take it personally. Marco has stated publicly that he "honestly believes" that Delphi has had more impact on the business world than Python ever has and David Millington once said that Delphi has as many users as Python, so you probably won't find sympathetic ears.
Finally, with JetBrains offering a whole Python IDE for $89 (for individuals) as well as an open source version, I can't imagine EMBT being able to charge Python users the prices they tend to charge for their tools. EMBT seems to still love the idea of selling a few copies at large prices rather than many copies at reasonable prices.
EMBT can't manage the products they have now and any move on their part to develop support for Python would likely result in further mismanagement and more sloppy Delphi and CB code.
ReplyDelete