Creating web apps in Python, which is the language I use most for my programming needs right after PHP, has always been interesting to me. Of course I was aware of the CGI abilities of Python, but I never made myself study it. So, I kinda forgot about it and kept using PHP to write the web apps I've been developing ever since. But, then Harry Fuecks, a Sitepoint PHP blogger, wrote a post about a simple, yet effective web framework for Python.

As I didn't have any experience with any of the "modern" web frameworks, like RoR or Django (which is partially connected to my lack of interest for them, but that's something to write another article about), I was a bit sceptical towards it, but I decided to check it out after all. And I was surprised. Web.py is probably the most minimal, and yet the easiest to use web framework I had the chance working with. It comes with its own little web server which should be okay for most of your testing needs, but it can be integrated through FastCGI with lighttpd or Apache, or through mod_python with Apache for any other, more serious uses.

I really haven't used web.py for any serious work yet, but I've played with it for a while and I can say I'm pretty satisfied. The integration with Cheetah for templates is seamless (but you have to install Cheetah, though :)), and the same goes for MySQLdb. It also supports PostgreSQL for all of you who use it, too, via a third party library psycopg2. Of course, this is a relatively new project, so don't expect wonders, but it's really promising and, as far as I'm concerned, it's headed in the right direction. I'll keep playing with it and testing it, and I'll write some more about it when I find something interesting enough to write about.

'Till then, check it out.