Old Discussion: Python Implementation? (Bugzilla:Languages)

[Gervase Markham]

On 24/04/13 21:27, Matthew Bogosian wrote:
> 1) If I was magically done today (with some approval of validity by
> existing developers), what is the likelihood that a Python
> implementation would (sometime over the following 6-12 months) be
> adopted as the primary architecture? I.E., how much inertia can
> realistically be attributed to Perl as an architecture (including
> comfort, emotional attachment, institutional knowledge, etc.)?

Questions which assume things which aren't true or possible can be
answered any way :-) It's called "hypothesis contrary to fact".

Bugzilla is the result of an awesomely large amount of work, is still
being actively developed, and has people writing significantly-sized
addons and customizations (e.g. bmo). In order for the core Bugzilla
community to switch, the port would need to have achieved the same level
of reliability and stability as the current code, and BMO would need to
be able to switch. (Otherwise, half the community would need to spend
their time hacking on the old codebase, and that would make your job
harder as you try and keep up with them.)

A few years ago, it might have been possible for Mozilla to switch. As
things are, with dkl and glob doing so much customization work and
Mozilla-driven enhancements, and with Bugzilla being such a core bit of
software and needing such high availability and reliability, it seems to
me that the chances of a switch are very, very small.

> 2) Assuming a 60%-or-better chance of adoption, does any onlooker have
> the desire and ability to assist (specifically with a Python "port")?****

I think you would be better off writing a new bug tracker, or
contributing to one already written in the language you like.

People still maintain COBOL code today. I see no reason why Bugzilla in
Perl 5 cannot be maintained for another 20 years.

Gerv