IronPython and Dynamic Languages in ASP.NET
We got to see an IronPython demo in ASP.NET today at the ASPInsiders Summit; some things are NDA, but some things are available now in a CTP. Let me just say that its fantastic to see ASP.NET in this space. Why? I'm not a user of dynamic languages myself yet, but I hear the train coming loudly. I've looked at Ruby, and now I've seen Python, and even though I still prefer C#, there's also an undeniable ease of use that is winning converts everyday. I've seen Rails, and for ASP.NET we already have SubSonic and MonoRails, as well as BLinq, and I saw some cool demos today with IronPython that were just incredible. Anyhow, to get to my point, I think its important that Microsoft is in this space so that we can know that the future of ASP.NET will be safe. Like it or not, technologies and languages come and go, and it would be foolish for MS to believe that C# and VB.NET will always be enough. Just like the IE team discovered that they had to regroup, at some point dynamic languages may very well be the norm. Maybe they won't, but either way ASP.NET should be prepared to be a thought leader, and that is what I saw today, and I just want to say "thank you" to the teams at Microsoft that are making this happen.