[IronPython] "Visual Studio Python Express" (was: Re: Newbie, feedback/question)

[François Schnell]

On Dec 20, 2007 12:10 AM, John Messerly <jomes at microsoft.com> wrote:

> Also, just to be clear: we (IronPython team) didn't write "IronPython
> Studio". Although it sure looks like a cool project!


Thanks for this information which is not really a good news for me (with
some distance).

The author of IronPython Studio has an @microsoft.com email, I thought (from
my external point of view) that the Iron Python team could have been the
initiator, or at least be "in the loop" and aware of it.

I think it's unfortunate because I think you're right, "it looks like" a
cool project. But I'm not sure if the author has any intention to use the
IDE he made himself.

I hope to be wrong (holiday period effect maybe) but I suspect "Iron Python
Studio" to be mainly an example/"proof of concept" for the VS shell
isolated.

I say this because looking at the forum:
- the software installation instructions are incomplete on the website since
the beginning
- the author didn't reply anyone since the 12th of december (24 days ago)
- had many problem with Iron Python Studio that I didn't encounter in Visual
Studio C#

After some perplex thinking I came to the obvious, but unnatural, solution
for me (coming from CPython, wanted to make "quickly" "rich" GUIs apps on
Windows):

Take advantage of my holiday, dive into C# and use the well maintained free
Visual Studio C# Express ...
For information, one of my original entertaining plan for the holiday was:
"Dive into Iron Python", use Iron Python Studio and buy the early access to
Fuzzyman "IronPython in Action" book.

Anyway that's fine for me (I'll probably use latter a combination of C# and
IP) but I'd still like to see, one day, a kind of free "Visual Studio Python
Express" (or whatever you might call it).

I've seen so many people coming to Python, loving the compactness, clean
syntax, dynamic nature and then asking the killer question:
"How can I quickly make my GUI, you know, like in Visual Basic?"
At this point they look at tkinter ("battery included" we told them), the
majority find it ugly and limited and go or go back to Visual Something
Express (even if they prefer Python as a language).

Combine,
- a concise, easy to learn, dynamic, yet powerful language like Python
- an easy and powerful designer to make rich GUIs with the power of Visual
Studio (Winforms,WPF,Silverlight)
- being also able to leverage .Net libs
- making it free for download
- maintaining it a little, managing properly your new community on codeplex
=> my guess, this is a WINNER in term of potential adoption.

But maybe Iron Python is more intended as a research/testbed for the DLR,
not targeted for wide adoption (even if Resolver is using it).

Or maybe it is just too early.
In this case are there any plan to offer latter such an IDE (any roadmap?)
If not I would appreciate if the Iron Python team consider it.

Anyway, thanks for reading and all the best to the IronPython team in 2008.

François



>
>
> - John
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: users-bounces at lists.ironpython.com [mailto:users-
> > bounces at lists.ironpython.com] On Behalf Of Keith J. Farmer
> > Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 11:09 AM
> > To: Discussion of IronPython; users at lists.ironpython.com
> > Subject: Re: [IronPython] Newbie, feedback/question
> >
> > Just to make sure you're aware: people have already started taking
> > their vacations.  I don't know if this is the case in this instance,
> > but it's a fairly sure thing that Microsofties will be less present
> > over the next 3 weeks or so.
> >
> > ________________________________
> >
> > From: users-bounces at lists.ironpython.com on behalf of François Schnell
> > Sent: Wed 12/19/2007 7:14 AM
> > To: users at lists.ironpython.com
> > Subject: [IronPython] Newbie, feedback/question
> >
> >
> > - it's been 5 days any developer/coordinator of Iron Python Studio have
> > replied in their discussions section? (unusual for a project just
> > released)
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Users mailing list
> > Users at lists.ironpython.com
> > http://lists.ironpython.com/listinfo.cgi/users-ironpython.com
> _______________________________________________
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