A framework for WebProgramming.
Masthead
- URL
- version
1.10 (Date(2003-07-20T00:00:00))
- license
Albatross uses a Open Source BSD-like [http://www.object-craft.com.au/cgi-bin/faq/albatross?req=compat#1.3 license] that permits most uses.
- platforms
- Unix and Windows
- Python versions
Deployment Platforms
Allows programs to be deployed as CGI or mod_python applications on either Unix or Windows. Applications can be coded as monolithic scripts or as a collection of page modules. Switching deployment between CGI and mod_python can be achieved by changing less than 10 lines of code.
Server or client side sessions are supported.
Suitability
Albatross is particularly suited to building small stateful CGI applications quickly.
Development Interfaces
Albatross functionality is provided via a collection of mixin classes which provide variant implementations of common functional areas. There are also a collection of pre-packed classes which combine the basic mixins to implement commonly used functionality.
If any aspect of the functionality does not suit your needs you can substitute your own mixin classes.
Environment Access
Albatross applications are a collection of Python modules and HTML template files. All code and templates are stored in the host file system.
Session, Identification and Authentication
Albatross session functionality is provided by a combination of application and execution context mixins. The supplied mixins support the following session options.
- No sessions.
- Client side sessions using MD5 signed pickles in hidden fields.
- Server side sessions using the Albatross TCP session server.
- Server side sessions using the file system.
All session ids are randomly generated 64 bit numbers using /dev/urandom if available falling back to random module.
Persistence Support
No support provided - just use your favourite DB-API modules.
Presentation Support
Albatross uses a DTML like templating scheme. The more interesting templating functions are:
- Automatic sequence pagination.
- Presentation and browsing of tree structured data with optional lazy loading. This allows huge trees to be browsed.
- Simple but powerful macro definition and expansion.
- Switch like lookup tables to translate native Python values to arbitrary template content.
InTheirOwnWords
Albatross is a toolkit for developing highly stateful web applications.
Comments
Object Craft (the developers of Albatross) are committed to ongoing maintenance and enhancement of Albatross as they use it in a number of their consulting projects.