John,

>> In which verions does Python run on handhelds / >smartphones ? I know Nokia has some implementation, but is >it crippled (how much) ?
>
>QT, GKT, and windows all have python that runs on handhelds (that includes phones). I recently worked with Intermac and python. But to be honest not what I'd call write once for all the platforms.

That is a large part of my point. The cross-platform idea sounds nice, but if you look closer, you see either java stacks configured to be so specific that the architecture is brittle, not flexible (if you are looking at the "high" side) or severly handicapped versions running on smaller platforms (where I see more of a future market). So while the languages are more standardized, the platforms today diverge more than the OS differences hemming portable C in the late eighties.

Looking at python, I see version incompatibilities between CPython, IronPython and Jython and (probably more crippling) the inability to use most CPython C-bound stuff from IronPython and Jython. So perhaps for the desktop things like JPype or the DotNet-calling CPython - DotNet-Python ? Python.Net ? whatever - might be more adequate...

But see also a tempting language I will certainly *dive into* again as soon as I have to swim to java once more<g>.

>Of course I disagree with his view. We all need to follow our pocket books but plan for the future too. I currently have no problem getting VFP work (mostly from repeat clients) and if I just followed the money I bet I could live with just VFP for the next four years. But then what? Everyday I see govt. agencies moving to open source (Linux). I see my customers adding linux to the mix (servers).

On the web end in one customer base we recently sampled the Asp.net growth is remarkable (and nearly none of the many python frameworks are used, similarly minuscule RoR, but PHP still has sizable percentage of "old" smaller users, but less growth even in pages count). Java also drives a number of sites (especially from bigger teams) and java WS or XML-RPC as well as old (S)FTP and HTTP file transfer are the data exchange routes. This is within local branches of govt., state and city level.

Back end use is split between oracle, DB2 and SQL-Server and some Postgres. Sun's aquisition of MySQL might change that - and a large part of workgroups in private economy thinks Excel is a great way to store data.

>Anyway that's what I have been thinking. So I hedging my bet and using a language that is cross platform and provides me of way to keep my fingers in windows and still support the linux world.

Can follow your thinking - I'd like to have a common environment from PC's under linux and Win down to smartphones with screens 320*240 and including those special handhelds for measuring gas consumption, having interfaces to internal sensors and so on.

regards

thomas