Jython is an open source implementation of the high-level, dynamic, object-oriented scripting language Python seamlessly integrated with the Java platform. The predecessor to Jython, JPython, is certified as 100% Pure Java. Jython is freely available for both commercial and noncommercial use and is distributed with source code. Jython is complementary to Java.

The Definitive Guide to Jython, written by the official Jython team leads, covers the latest Jython 2.5 (or 2.5.x) from the basics to the advanced features. This book begins with a brief introduction to the language and then journeys through Jython’s different features and uses.

The Definitive Guide to Jython is organized for beginners as well as advanced users of the language. The book provides a general overview of the Jython language itself, but it also includes intermediate and advanced topics regarding database, web, and GUI applications; Web services/SOA; and integration, concurrency, and parallelism, to name a few.

What you’ll learn

• How to handle Jython basics like language syntax and concepts
• How to use the Jython scripting language for I/O, Java/Jython integration, and Jython in an IDE and databases
• How to integrate Jython with the Django web framework and even Spring
• How to develop web applications with Jython including web services/SOA, GUI considerations, and deployment targets
• How to conduct testing, continuous integration, concurrency, scaling, and more with Jython

Who this book is for

This book is for Java web developers looking to use a dynamic scripting language as an alternative to Groovy or JRuby. Other web developers who use Python and Django may also be interested in this book.

Table of ContentsPart I: Jython Basics: Learning the Language
Chapter 1: Language and Syntax 3
Chapter 2: Data Types and Referencing
Chapter 3: Operators, Expressions, and Program Flow
Chapter 4: Defining Functions and Using Built-ins
Chapter 5: Input and Output
Chapter 6: Object-Oriented Jython
Chapter 7: Exception Handling and Debugging
Chapter 8: Modules and Packages for Code Reuse
II: Using the Language
Chapter 9: Scripting With Jython
Chapter 10: Jython and Java Integration
Chapter 11: Using Jython in an IDE
Chapter 12: Databases and Jython: Object Relational Mapping and Using JDBC
Part III: Developing Applications with Jython
Chapter 13: Simple Web Applications
Chapter 14: Web Applications With Django
Chapter 15: Introduction to Pylons
Chapter 16: GUI Applications
Chapter 17: Deployment Targets
Strategy and Technique
Chapter 18: Testing and Continuous Integration
Chapter 19: Concurrency
Appendix A: Using Other Tools with Jython
Appendix B: Jython Cookbook
Appendix C: Built-in Functions