[Zope] Python or DTML

[R. David Murray]

On Thu, 6 Jul 2000, Peter Bengtsson wrote:
> I know that Python is integrated _very_ closly to the Zope core, but to use
> a Python module you'll have to create an External Method and a file in the
> Extensions folder;
> and this might be slower than using DTML. Right?
> 
> Basically, how much faster is DTML to Python (assuming the codes outputs the
> same thing)?

The Zope core is *written* in python (with hotspots coded in python
modules written in C), not just integrated with it.  Since DTML
must be interpreted by the Zope core (an interpreter running in an
interpreter), whereas the python code in an external method is
simply (more or less) executed (just one interpretation level), I
would expect external methods and python products to be a lot faster
than the same functionality coded in DTML.  But I'm speculating
here based only on my current mental model of how Zope works, so
I could be wrong <grin>.

--RDM