Atmosphere vs Escher vs Geddy: What are the differences?

### Key Differences between Atmosphere and Escher and Geddy

1. **Framework Type**: Atmosphere is a real-time application framework, focusing on the development of web applications that require server push functionalities such as bi-directional communication. In contrast, Escher is a functional reactive programming language that emphasizes declarative and composable code. Geddy is a full-stack MVC framework for Node.js that simplifies the creation of web applications with built-in features like ORM and routing.

2. **Language Support**: Atmosphere is primarily designed for Java platforms, providing libraries and utilities for implementing server push technologies. Escher, on the other hand, is built for the Haskell programming language, leveraging its functional programming paradigms for scalable and efficient code. Geddy is specifically tailored for JavaScript applications running on Node.js, offering a familiar environment for web developers. 

3. **Community and Support**: Atmosphere has a well-established community of Java developers and offers extensive documentation and resources for building real-time web applications. Escher, being a niche language, has a smaller but dedicated community that focuses on functional programming concepts and best practices. Geddy, being a part of the Node.js ecosystem, benefits from a large and active community that provides continuous support and updates for developers.

4. **Ecosystem and Libraries**: Atmosphere provides a robust set of libraries and tools for creating real-time applications, including support for WebSockets and HTTP push. Escher leverages the Haskell ecosystem, offering access to a wide range of functional programming libraries and frameworks for various application needs. Geddy integrates seamlessly with the npm ecosystem, enabling developers to leverage a vast repository of Node.js modules and packages for extending their web applications.

5. **Performance and Scalability**: Atmosphere is designed for high-performance real-time applications, offering scalability features like clustering and load balancing. Escher's functional programming approach emphasizes performance optimizations through lazy evaluation and immutable data structures. Geddy leverages the event-driven nature of Node.js for improved scalability and handles multiple concurrent connections efficiently, making it suitable for high-traffic applications.

6. **Learning Curve and Complexity**: Atmosphere provides a straightforward API for implementing server push functionalities, making it easy to integrate real-time features into web applications. Escher's functional programming paradigm may have a steeper learning curve for developers unfamiliar with Haskell, requiring a shift in mindset towards pure and immutable functions. Geddy, with its MVC architecture and built-in features, simplifies the development process but may introduce complexity in larger projects requiring extensive customization.

In Summary, the key differences between Atmosphere, Escher, and Geddy lie in their framework types, language support, community and support, ecosystems and libraries, performance and scalability, and learning curve and complexity.