Sometime ago I checked out different approaches to web application development (in my free time.) With Python I explored the Pyramid framework as well as Django. With Scala I did Lift. And lastly I explored JSF using Groovy as a replacement for Java.
Actually I was quite overwhelmed with Python. It's not difficult to write anything in Python.
However, to write good code in Python it should take considerably more effort and more thorough understanding of the language. I stumbled across a lot of metaprogramming then. I think it grossly difficult to feel secure because, with metaprogramming alongside dynamic typing, most of your application's survival depends on the condition of your gestalt.
Scala lifts much of that mental burden off me I should think. I like Lift. I could do more in Lift in the future. :)
Groovy is, as I probably wrote in my previous post, somewhat in the middle when it comes to typing--a degree of static as well as dynamic typing. It saves a lot of time and code lines. In a way it intuitively guides me to write better code. There can be a lot of metaprogramming too in Groovy, but it's not a show stopper. You don't necessarily have to understand it to write good code. Though it's pretty easy (I think compared to that in Python). It would be much better if Java EE and relevant stuff were tailored to fit Groovy more. And better IDE support. And a way to filter exception stack traces (Seam Catch maybe?).
