Cheetah is a Python-powered template engine and code generator. It can be used as a standalone utility or it can be combined with other tools. Cheetah has many potential uses, but web developers looking for a viable alternative to ASP, JSP, PHP and PSP are expected to be its principle user group.
Cheetah:
generates HTML, SGML, XML, SQL, Postscript, form email, LaTeX, or any other text-based format.
cleanly separates content, graphic design, and program code. This leads to highly modular, flexible, and reusable site architectures; faster development time; and HTML and program code that is easier to understand and maintain. It is particularly well suited for team efforts.
blends the power and flexibility of Python with a simple template language that non-programmers can understand.
gives template writers full access to any Python data structure, module, function, object, or method in their templates.
makes code reuse easy by providing an object-orientated interface to templates that is accessible from Python code or other Cheetah templates. One template can subclass another and selectively reimplement sections of it.
provides a simple, yet powerful, caching mechanism that can dramatically improve the performance of a dynamic website.
compiles templates into optimized, yet readable, Python code.
Cheetah integrates tightly with Webware for Python (http://webwareforpython.org): a Python-powered application server and persistent servlet framework. Webware provides automatic session, cookie, and user management and can be used with almost any operating-system, web server, or database. Through Python, it works with XML, SOAP, XML-RPC, CORBA, COM, DCOM, LDAP, IMAP, POP3, FTP, SSL, etc.. Python supports structured exception handling, threading, object serialization, unicode, string internationalization, advanced cryptography, and more. It can also be extended with code and libraries written in C, C++, Java and other languages.
Like Python, Cheetah and Webware are Open Source Software and are supported by active user communities. Together, they are a powerful and elegant framework for building dynamic web sites.
Like its namesake, Cheetah is fast, flexible and powerful.
-- TavisRudd - 29 Oct 2001