Distributing a Python App

[Irmen de Jong]

Allan Hughes wrote:
> I'm a python noob and have a question.
> 
> I would like to write a little app and then share it with others.
> 
> It is going to need to store potentially large amounts of data and then 
> generate reports based on that data.
> 
> I could just write to a DB, but that wouldn't be very portable.

Define "a DB".

> I would like a solution that will work 'out of the box' for any old shmo 
> who wants to use it without worrying about whether they have the right 
> DB.  How can I build this in?  Suggestion?  What have you done in the past?

I've successfully used plain text data files, standard Python pickles,
and an (py)sqlite embedded database. None of them requires a full-blown
database engine to be present. PySQLite is also a self-contained package.
It depends on the amount and structure of your data what the best
solution will be.

--Irmen