WhatZopeDoes

What is Zope? is the official entry point from ZOPE.ORG to figure out what ZOPE is.

brief functional mission statement: ZOPE is a python based application server that attempts to replace disperate CGIs with a centralized metaphor.

• Components - ZOPE is built from a component architecture, from which you can use without all of ZOPE. ZODB is ZOPE independant. As ZOPE matures, one of the main features is an attempt to keep most things component based so that the Python community can use these components without having to use the entire ZOPE framework.
• Concepts - Publishing objects. can get into WEB API philosophy - although could become dated
• Integration - ZOPE integrates into all sorts of things. It has a flexible API (errr not well documented yet) that allows for integration. Python prowess is required.
  • Mail Servers - SMTP/POP/IMAP
  • Databases - Relational Databases
  • Search Engines - Ultraseek (anyone done work w/ UdmSearch? yet?)
  • Perl
  • Webservers
  • WEBDAV:"http://www.webdav.org/"
  • CVS - if it becomes stable :) <- I believe this to be one of the coolest things ZOPE could get :)
• Applications - we can talk abotu Applications built from ZOPE, such as Squishdot, KMNetNews?, PTK, what else? or Applications that integrate with. ZPatterns? allows for a really clean way for ZOPE to interact with external Applications.

NOTE: This probably should be broken up - into a) PythonBasedAppServer? and then b) Metaphor. the "Object Publishing" stuff is kinda opaque and when I think of Object Publishing or ORBs?, it gets very programatic and I immediately want lots of technical information. this is how ZOPE seems to come off, very technical and new technology. which its not. its proven technology centralized. there is nothing risky about ZOPE. so why all this geek-speak? ~runyaga