How complicate can a Django application go?

Question

Hi, I'm tasked to create a simple CRUD MVC application, and I thought it's a good opportunity to learn python. Because of its great documentation, I'm thinking now that I'll go with Django.

Now, this simple CRUD MVC application could become quite complicated in the future. I might have receive and issue JMS messages, display charts that are updated periodically (I'm thinking about ajax) and what not.

Given this I'm a little worried, since while I'm told it's easy to call Java code from python (I'm a Java developer), I'm also told that Django is generally best for content based web application, and can be restrictive.

Do you think it is okay to go with Django in this case?

Answer 1

simple CRUD MVC application

Django does this "out of the box" The admin interface is a simple, CRUD, MVC application. You don't do much programming to make this happen. You create the model. That's it. Use the Django admin for your CRUD application. Done.

I might have receive and issue JMS messages, display charts that are updated periodically (I'm thinking about ajax) and what not.

That's the point. Since you didn't waste time writing the CRUD application, you are able to write the other, more interesting stuff.

Look at http://hjb.python-hosting.com/ for a Python-JMS bridge.

We have FLEX front-end and Django-based RESTful web services. The Django apps create PDF's, and other things. The FLEX does pretty pictures and charts.

Django is generally best for content based web application, and can be restrictive.

Doesn't mean anything. Provide a quote or a link to whatever it is you're talking about.

Answer 2

Mozilla is currently rewriting two of our largest sites on Django. These are both fairly complex applications that interact with numerous online and offline services. With Python's large collection of libraries, anything Django doesn't do itself we've usually been able to find, or create pretty easily. For example, we have both cron jobs and on-demand offline tasks, backed by AMQP, which is similar to JMS.

Short answer: you can get pretty darn complicated if that's what you need to do, and odds are there's already a Python project or library to do what you need.