Zope

Zope

Type of site	Python web framework development
Available in	English
Website	www.zope.org
Commercial	No
Registration	none
Current status	Active

Zope 2

Screenshot Zope management interface in a Web browser window.
Developer(s)	Zope Corporation
Initial release	1998; 19 years ago (1998)
Stable release	2.13.23 / June 29, 2015; 20 months ago (2015-06-29)
Development status	Active
Written in	Python
Operating system	Cross-platform
Type	Web application server
License	Zope Public License
Website	zope2.zope.org

Zope is a community project concerned with a free and open-source, object-oriented web application server written in the Python programming language. Zope stands for "Z Object Publishing Environment", and was the first system using the now common object publishing methodology for the Web. Zope has been recognized as a Python killer app, an application that helped put Python in the spotlight.

Over the last few years, the Zope community has spawned several additional web frameworks with disparate aims and principles, but sharing philosophy, people, and source code. Zope 2 is still the most widespread of these frameworks, largely thanks to the Plone content management system, which runs on Zope 2. BlueBream (earlier called Zope 3) is less widespread but underlies several large sites, including Launchpad. Grok was started as a more programmer-friendly framework, "Zope 3 for cavemen", and in 2009 Pyramid (ex BFG) gained popularity in the Zope community as a minimalistic framework based on Zope principles.

The Zope Corporation was formed in 1995 in Fredericksburg, Virginia under the name Digital Creations, as a joint venture with InfiNet (a joint newspaper chain venture). The company developed a classified advertisement engine for the Internet. In 1997, the company became independently owned and private. The company's software engineers are led by CTO Jim Fulton. PythonLabs, creators of Python, became part of the company in the year 2000. Python founder Guido van Rossum left Zope Corp in 2003.