Stand-alone Python Apps?

[Nathan Gundlach]

Thanks a bunch! I'll look into this. If it's as good as it sounds, it's
great. Maybe I should clarify exactly what I mean by "stand-alone." All I
want to create is a simple program with a GUI that does not require that
Python be installed on my end user's computer.

Warren Postma wrote in message <4fUT4.20380$HG1.517119 at nnrp1.uunet.ca>...
>
>"Nathan Gundlach" <dagchess at frognet.net> wrote in message
>news:X0TT4.1732$W45.3792 at newsfeed.slurp.net...
>> Is there any way to create stand-alone apps in Python that I can use on
>> Windows, Linux/UNIX, and Mac?
>
><DREAM_MODE>
>I would like a tool which would create source archives, binaries for
>Win-x86, Linux-x86, and Mac PPC, handling all possible Windows DLLs, Unix
>Shared Libraries, and Mac shared libraries, various GUI toolkits, etcetera,
>etcetera. Once I have a tool that complicated I should only have one more
>step to make a really useful python utility....  one that could write most
>of my application for me while I'm at it!
></DREAM_MODE>
>
>Seriously, I think there is some room for improvement in making Python
>programs easier to "pack and go". There are several tools out there that
you
>should examine, search for Install and Freeze on the Python Search Page for
>starters.
>
>I think you'll need to narrow down your search by choosing an appropriate
>GUI toolkit and other packages you'll need to use. Once you've built one
>installer, the rest will be a cinch.  Python can be used for so many
>purposes, some of which are portable, and some of which are not, that I can
>hardly see a single universal Installer Tool.
>
>Making such a tool would be complicated  by the many binary and python
>extensions available for Python. If you use any DLL extensions (.pyd files
>on Windows) then your program is not going to fit in a single file. If
>standalone means "make a nice install program" then I'm sure many people
are
>working on improving their installer scripts, but I am not aware of any one
>tool that is aware of all the things like Tcl/TK, wxPython, and whatever
>other extension DLLs or Scripts you might use in your application.
>
>The closest you're going to get is manually building three separate binary
>installation programs, one for each platform, plus providing separate
copies
>of the source/script files. Then users might pick and choose between them,
>and everybody might be reasonably happy. Except you, because it's a lot of
>work making all those binary installation programs.
>
>The other thing is that Python programs provided as source are inherently
>more useful because you can change them. I suspect that a Python program
>distributed without its source is going to be a lot less popular.
>
>Has anyone formed a project or SIG to discuss simplifying installation and
>deployment of Python applications, including the various GUI toolkits
>around? My own bias is towards wxPython.  I am hoping Boa Constructor will
>include a deployment wizard to help make shipping applications to people
who
>don't have Python and WxWindows + WxPython a little bit easier.
>
>Warren
>
>
>