Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Transcrypt VS Pharo

Compare Transcrypt VS Pharo and see what are their differences

Transcrypt logo Transcrypt

Transcrypt is a Python to JavaScript transpiler.

Pharo logo Pharo

Pharo is a pure object-oriented programming language and a powerful environment, focused on...
  • Transcrypt Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-12
  • Pharo Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-26

Transcrypt features and specs

  • Python to JavaScript Transpilation
    Transcrypt allows you to write your code in Python, which is then transpiled into JavaScript. This enables Python developers to leverage their existing knowledge and skills to develop web applications.
  • Efficiency and Performance
    Transcrypt produces highly readable and compact JavaScript code, which can be optimized for better performance. The generated code includes optional source maps for debugging.
  • Access to JavaScript Libraries
    Transcrypt allows you to use JavaScript libraries seamlessly alongside Python code, enabling integration with existing JavaScript ecosystems.
  • Static Typing
    Transcrypt supports optional static typing, which can help catch errors earlier in the development cycle and make your code more robust.
  • Advanced Features
    Transcrypt supports advanced Python features such as multiple inheritance, tuple assignment, and list comprehension, providing a rich development experience.

Possible disadvantages of Transcrypt

  • Limited Python Support
    Only a subset of Python's standard library is supported, which might limit functionality that can be directly transpiled without modifications.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Certain Python constructs and idioms may not translate well into JavaScript, requiring developers to adapt their code specifically for web environments.
  • Learning Curve
    Although it enables Python development for the web, developers need to learn about the limitations and specifics of the transpilation process, which can be a barrier.
  • Community and Support
    Transcrypt has a smaller community compared to mainstream JavaScript frameworks, which can make finding support and resources challenging.
  • Development Overhead
    Transcrypt introduces an additional step in the build process, which might increase the complexity of the development and deployment workflow.

Pharo features and specs

  • Integrated Development Environment
    Pharo offers a highly integrated development environment with powerful tools like the inspector, debugger, and playgrounds, enhancing the overall development experience.
  • Live Code Changes
    Pharo supports live coding, allowing developers to make changes and see the effects immediately without the need to stop and restart the application.
  • Rich Libraries
    Pharo comes with a comprehensive set of libraries and frameworks, reducing the need to search for external dependencies and allowing for rapid development.
  • Object-Oriented Language
    Pharo is a true object-oriented language, which makes it natural for modeling real-world scenarios and leveraging the power of polymorphism and inheritance.
  • Community and Support
    Pharo has an active and supportive community that contributes to continuous improvements, tutorials, documentation, and libraries.

Possible disadvantages of Pharo

  • Niche Ecosystem
    Pharo's ecosystem is relatively small compared to more mainstream programming languages, which might make it harder to find libraries, tools, and examples for specific needs.
  • Learning Curve
    Pharo can have a steep learning curve, especially for developers not familiar with Smalltalk or the unique aspects of its environment.
  • Limited Job Market
    Compared to more popular languages like JavaScript or Python, the job market for Pharo developers is limited, potentially making it less attractive for career-oriented developers.
  • Performance Constraints
    While suitable for many kinds of applications, Pharoโ€™s performance might not be on par with languages specifically optimized for high-performance computing or low-level system programming.
  • Documentation
    Although improving, Pharo's documentation may not be as extensive or as easy to navigate as that of more widely-used programming languages, which can be challenging for new users.

Analysis of Pharo

Overall verdict

  • Pharo is generally considered good, especially for developers who appreciate a clean, object-oriented programming environment. Its benefits include ease of use, powerful development tools, and an active support community, which make it a strong candidate for many programming projects.

Why this product is good

  • Pharo is an open-source, dynamically-typed programming language and environment that is focused on simplicity and immediate feedback. It's built around the idea of live coding and offers powerful tools for software development, including a modern version of the Smalltalk language. It is particularly appreciated for its elegant syntax, object-oriented design, and innovative development environment which allows for immediate testing and debugging. Pharo also has a strong and active community, providing support and a library of resources and packages.

Recommended for

  • Developers interested in object-oriented programming
  • Individuals looking for a live coding environment
  • Educational purposes and teaching programming concepts
  • Projects that require rapid prototyping and iteration
  • Developers who enjoy experimenting with new languages and paradigms

Transcrypt videos

TransCrypt Review

More videos:

  • Review - TBG - TRANSCRYPT ICO Review
  • Review - PyCon.DE 2018: Python & Javascript = Transcrypt - Andreas Bunkahle

Pharo videos

Black Ops 3 In Depth: Pharo Burst Fire SMG Review (Best SMG?)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Transcrypt and Pharo)
Programming Language
16 16%
84% 84
OOP
19 19%
81% 81
Generic Programming Language
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Pharo should be more popular than Transcrypt. It has been mentiond 39 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.

Transcrypt mentions (5)

  • PyScript
    This is a laudable effort, but I'm not a fan of shipping the entire interpreter. I looked around a few weeks ago and found https://transcrypt.org, which compiles your Python script to JS, so size is minimal. It's great for shipping small, internal tools/apps, I love how maintainable they are by all the Python devs, plus they're very fast to load and execute. - Source: Hacker News / about 4 years ago
  • PySketch: Python Playground for HTML5
    How is the Python being run by the browser? Several impressive projects bring Python to the browser, such as Brython, Transcrypt, Skulpt, Pyodide. PySketch uses Brython that compiles Python to JavaScript in the browser. You can take a look at this article about technologies and comparisons if you want to learn more. - Source: dev.to / over 4 years ago
  • 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
  • Use of python for software development
    For web apps: in my experience, there are tools that convert Python into JavaScript or try to make Python run inside a web browser like Brython and Transcrypt. These have been VERY awkward or painfully slow, so I would strongly discourage their use in practical web development. Source: about 5 years ago
  • Python and the Browser - Revisited
    A while back, I posted about my initial foray into using Python to develop front-end web applications with React by using the Transcrypt transpiler. Python in the Browser Part of the initial learning process I went through was doing the official React tutorial, but using Python for the code instead of JavaScript. When I did that, I adhered to the structure of the application that was used in the tutorial... - Source: dev.to / over 5 years ago

Pharo mentions (39)

  • Hoot: Scheme on WebAssembly
    If someone wants to try it out, both Glamorous Toolkit and plain Pharo have tooling that allows integration of both local and remote LLM services. Some links to start off with: https://gtoolkit.com/ https://github.com/feenkcom/gt4llm https://pharo.org/ https://omarabedelkader.github.io/ChatPharo/. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Pharos: The Lighthouse at Alexandria
    Not to be confused with Pharo, the immersive programming experience: https://pharo.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • ร‰toilรฉ โ€“ desktop built on GNUStep
    Are you using Pharo already? If not, give it a go: https://pharo.org/ For taking notes and stuff you'd otherwise do in Jupyter or Livebook, try GT: https://gtoolkit.com/ It's not an OS, but you can just abstract over OS actions within either and keep them as your main interface, similar to how some people rarely leave Emacs. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • Developer's Block
    Perhaps switch languages/paradigms for a few days. If you are used to using "text-based" languages such as golang, python, c++ or java, try something like Smalltalk to freshen you up. Pharo https://pharo.org/ is a nice implementation. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • You Are in a Box
    Have you seen https://pharo.org/ by chance? it's a smalltalk IDE built in smalltalk, which means that the whole thing is editable at runtime. it's hard to describe before you see it, https://pharo.org/features has some demos. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Transcrypt and Pharo, you can also consider the following products

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

C++ - Has imperative, object-oriented and generic programming features, while also providing the facilities for low level memory manipulation

Skulpt - Skulpt is an entirely in-browser implementation of Python.

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

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

F# - F# is a mature, open source, cross-platform, functional-first programming language.