Jython - Mature, but Fresh!

The Jython team has been doing a lot of work over the years to maintain one of the most mature alternative languages for the JVM.  Jython is of course Python for the JVM, and the latest iteration of Jython is 2.7, which brings it ever closer to matching the complete functionality of the  C-based Python 1 for 1.  For instance, Jython 2.7 provides built in support for setuptools, which is an essential part of the Python ecosystem for installation of Python modules, and adds support for dictionary comprehensions.  It also provides more robust integration between Java and Python, so that Python modules can be used more easily from Java, and vice versa.

I had the pleasure of writing an article about the latest version of Jython recently with Jim Baker, one of the key Jython developers.  I've known Jim for a long time now, and it was great to have the opportunity to write an article with him, and his expertise really makes the article, as he delves into technical information behind Jython...giving key insight to how it works.  In the article, readers are provided with a brief introduction to Jython, then they are taken through some of the key features in Jython 2.7 via an example-driven explanation.  Readers learn how to work with Java libraries from Jython, how to install Python modules, and more.

I want to thank Oracle and Andrew Binstock for giving Jim and I the opportunity to write an article for the excellent Java Magazine.  I also want to thank Jim for taking the time to work on this article...it turned out excellent and it was great working with you.

You can read the article entitled "Jython 2.7: Integrating Python and Java" in the Nov/Dec 2015 issue of Java Magazine.