Guido has spoken, Django is to be considered The Python Web Framework. It will not be a part of the Python standard distribution, but it will be singled out as the right framework for Python programmers to start with web application development.
Strangely enough, after a thousand discussions over the years about Python web frameworks, this anointment of Django has caused little stir in the Python blog space. Even the Django blog is silent about this.
During the not so distant What-are-we-going-to-do-about-Rails crisis, a lot of people on the Python community were of the opinion that having one single blessed framework would enable Python to recover lost territory to Ruby and its magical web framework. Well, we sort of have that now, but I don't see anyone rejoicing about Python's reacquired status as the up-and-coming language.
Maybe this is because Guido's pronouncement doesn't really change anything.
It is just an opinion. An important, respectable opinion. One that will probably influence where Python newbies start looking for web development options, but not a final dictum by any means. Not even, if I may be so bold, the most knowledgeable opinion out there.
By his own admission, Python's BDFL doesn't know a lot about web development (even thogh he worked for Zope Corporation for some time) and doesn't really care about it much, though being employed by Google these last few months may have changed his mind a little.
So though it is interesting that Guido picked Django and considers it the pythonic solution, this really doesn't say much about other frameworks and their place in the Python community, nor does it disqualify them in any way.
If anything, this will put some pressure on Django itself. Back when Zope was considered Python's killer app (yes, it's true, Guido himself said that, live with it), though it helped both Zope and Python to be better known to the outside world, this distinction brought a lot of criticism and negative attention to Zope from inside the Python community.
Now, just a couple of days after this pronouncement, there are some that are quick to say that Django is far from perfect, as if Guido's opinion somehow implied this (he clearly never said such a thing). Stronger criticism will come soon enough, I think.
Not that I have anything against Django. I have experimented with it and I like it. But I really think diversity is good for the web framework ecosystem. There are lots of different problems and challenges for web developers, who will approach them with varied levels of experience and interests, so having a number of solid options available can only be a Good Thing (tm).
Of course, I'm sure that most of the developers and users of TurboGears, Zope, Pylons, Quixote, Nevow, CherryPy, Myghty, Web.py and the other dozen frameworks out there will take this blessing with a grain of salt and continue to improve on their own web offerings. Perhaps with a little more energy, too.
All in all, this is a great time to be a Python web developer.
Read: And the winner is...Django, but is there a prize?
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