Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Pyjs VS SqueakJS

Compare Pyjs VS SqueakJS and see what are their differences

Pyjs logo Pyjs

pyjs is a Rich Internet Application (RIA) Development Platform for both Web and Desktop.

SqueakJS logo SqueakJS

Squeak VM in JavaScript for running Squeak images in your browser.
  • Pyjs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-09-07
  • SqueakJS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-22

Pyjs features and specs

  • Cross-platform Compatibility
    Pyjs allows developers to write a single web application codebase in Python, which can then be compiled into JavaScript. This cross-compilation means the application can run on any device with a web browser, enhancing its reach.
  • Python Syntax
    Developers familiar with Python can leverage their existing knowledge to write web applications without learning JavaScript. This can lead to faster development times and reduced learning curves.
  • Rich Widget Set
    Pyjs offers a rich set of pre-built widgets that can be used to create complex user interfaces easily. This helps in speeding up the development process and ensures consistency across the application.
  • Client-side Execution
    By compiling Python code to JavaScript, Pyjs enables client-side execution of applications, potentially reducing server load and improving user experience through quicker interactions.

Possible disadvantages of Pyjs

  • Performance Overhead
    The extra layer introduced by compiling Python to JavaScript can lead to performance issues, especially for larger applications, as JavaScript is inherently faster and more optimized for web environments.
  • Limited Ecosystem
    Compared to more mature frameworks and libraries in the JavaScript ecosystem, Pyjs has a smaller community and fewer resources available, which can pose challenges in terms of finding support and third-party integrations.
  • Debugging Complexity
    Debugging can become complex as developers must understand both the Python source code and the resulting JavaScript output, making it harder to trace and resolve issues.
  • Stagnant Development
    Pyjs has not seen active development or community engagement compared to other frameworks, which could impact its long-term viability and the availability of updates or security patches.

SqueakJS features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Accessibility
    SqueakJS runs in any modern web browser, making it accessible on different operating systems without the need for installation.
  • Legacy Software Support
    It allows the execution of classic Smalltalk applications, providing a platform to run and preserve older software.
  • Educational Use
    SqueakJS can be used for educational purposes, enabling students to learn Smalltalk and web technologies.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, SqueakJS fosters community collaboration and allows users to customize or extend the platform to their needs.
  • Lightweight
    Since it operates entirely in the browser, it consumes fewer system resources compared to native virtual machine installations.

Possible disadvantages of SqueakJS

  • Performance Limitations
    As it runs in a browser, SqueakJS may not perform as efficiently as native Smalltalk virtual machines, especially for computation-heavy tasks.
  • Browser Dependency
    Its functionality is dependent on browser capabilities, which might lead to inconsistencies or issues across different browsers or versions.
  • Limited Hardware Interaction
    Running within a browser, it might have restricted interaction with certain hardware elements, limiting its use in specific scenarios compared to native environments.
  • Security Concerns
    Running applications in a browser exposes them to typical web security risks, requiring careful attention to ensure safe use.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Pyjs and SqueakJS)
Programming Language
41 41%
59% 59
IDE
28 28%
72% 72
OOP
100 100%
0% 0
Generic Programming Language

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, SqueakJS should be more popular than Pyjs. It has been mentiond 5 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Pyjs mentions (1)

  • How to actually use python code in browser or application?
    I have a Python program that takes user input from the console and shows some results on the console, and I want the user to be able to type stuff into it instead of pre-recorded runs. How do I do that? I'm not really sure. You could have a copy of Python running on the server and have the front-end communicating with it, but you'd have to be sure it's secured -- there are a lot of dangerous Python commands... Source: almost 5 years ago

SqueakJS mentions (5)

  • Ask HN: Any Recommendations Around Programming on an iPad?
    There was recently a related story on porting godot to the iPad: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41415077. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Smalltalk simplicity and consistency vs. other languages (2022) [video]
    > And I'd like to be able to create applications that run without shipping the entire Smalltalk VM. There's always a javascript vm... https://squeak.js.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Squeak 6.0 has been released!
    It actually gets more complicated because there are ports of Squeak descendants than run in-browser. https://squeak.js.org is a Smalltalk virtual machine written in Javascript and that has allowed some crazy browser based stuff. https://pharojs.org PharoJS is a slightly different approach. It provides tools to deploy your Pharo developed code into the browser. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Ask HN: Share Your Personal Site
    Oh sorry, HN usability played with our hearts :D The message was meant to this other dev, quite cool mind map: https://wiki.nikitavoloboev.xyz And I'm impressed by what you have done there. I even played a bit of DOOM heh. Your project reminded me a little bit of https://squeak.js.org in the sense of having a full OS like thing in the browser. Congrats for the achievement! - Source: Hacker News / over 4 years ago
  • Fabrik a Visual Programming Environment
    So there is [1] https://squeak.js.org/ and [2] https://github.com/codefrau/SqueakJS which seems to be able to not only run Squeak, but also [3] https://github.com/Cuis-Smalltalk/Cuis-Smalltalk-Dev/wiki/Run-Cuis-in-the-Web-Browser.-(SqueakJS) and [4] https://github.com/carolahp/pharo on common JS-runtimes in acceptable speeds. There is also [5] https://caffeine.js.org/ and [6]... - Source: Hacker News / almost 5 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Pyjs and SqueakJS, you can also consider the following products

Transcrypt - Transcrypt is a Python to JavaScript transpiler.

Smalltalk - Smalltalk is an object-oriented programming (OOP) language. It is objects all the way down.

Brython - Brython's goal is to replace Javascript with Python, as the scripting language for web browsers.

Pharo - Pharo is a pure object-oriented programming language and a powerful environment, focused on...

JavaScript - Lightweight, interpreted, object-oriented language with first-class functions

React Studio - Create app flows and components. Express their properties and data linkage visually.