Django Pylons myths

Question

I'm just starting with web frameworks and web development (I work only a little with PHP CI) and decided to move to python (I need language for general programing not only limited to web apps). I did research on google and found Pylons and Django as best and most popular web frameworks for python. But on some blogs, discussions people said that Django is perfect for some kind of CMS app (blog or something like that) and in other case it is not a good choice (lack of flexibility and so on). Is this true? And I also noticed that people say that Pylons is much harder to learn but much more powerful after. Is this true at all?

And how much harder is Pylons compared to Django for people who are not python guru and OOP masters? I'm aware that working knowledge python will be required in both cases to work efficiently with framework. I have time to learn both language and framework but just wondering which of these two. I will also use in app JS but as I learning it too I will rather code it myself rather than use some "magic" helpers etc.

Answer 1

Django is a more unified framework which provides everything you need. Some people see that as monolithic, others see it as convenient, letting you focus on your site rather than on evaluating competing foundational technologies.

Pylons is designed to be built up from components, giving you choices for each function what implementation to use. Some people see that as confusing, others see it as powerful.

Either one will let you build whatever site you like. Django grew out of a CMS implementation, and it admin interface can seem like a simple CMS, but there's no reason it can't build any web site you like.

Answer 2

Unfortunately I cannot comment on Pylons, but to give you an extremely biased view: Django is fantastic.

A year ago I was in the same shoes (no Python or Django experience, and never worked on a web development project), and have found Django to be extremely powerful and easy to use. This is supported by great documentation and a supportive community. On top of that, Django is fun!

As Ned remarked, it depends on what you want, but I just wanted you to hear the voice of one extremely satisfied Django user.

Answer 3

I recommend reading this answer to a similar question: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/48681/pros-cons-of-django-vs-pylons/784390#784390