[python-win32] Iron Python and Visual Basic 2005 (or 2008) Express

[Dick Moores]

At 02:14 PM 3/4/2008, Michael Foord wrote:
>Dick Moores wrote:
>>Years ago I learned a bit of Visual Basic (VB6,
>>IIRC) at a community college. About a year ago I
>>downloaded the free Visual Basic 2005 Express
>>(<http://www.microsoft.com/express/vb/Default.aspx>),
>>but didn't do much with it.
>>
>>But I was wondering if it was possible to write
>>Python code in Iron Python and use it somehow in
>>Visual Basic 2005 (or 2008) Express. VB seemed a very easy
>>way to create a GUI, but of course I prefer Python for the code.
>>
>>So, possible/impossible/impractical/foolish/Pythonically_traitorous?
>>
>
>Your question as phrased doesn't actually mean a great deal. :-)
>
>Do you want to code with Python or with VB? (They are different 
>languages and you can't just mix them in the same source files - 
>well you can actually but not in the way you mean I think...)
>
>This sort of question would be much better directed to the 
>IronPython mailing list by the way:
>http://lists.ironpython.com/listinfo.cgi/users-ironpython.com

I did, a month ago 
(<http://lists.ipython.scipy.org/pipermail/ipython-user/2008-January/005063.html>), 
but got no response, possibly because my "question as phrased doesn't 
actually mean a great deal". :-(

>Do you actually mean "can you use IronPython with Visual Studio 
>Express"? If so, the answer is "not really". But you can use 
>IronPython to create any sort of application that you can with VB.

OK, so I'm now a bit wiser. Rephrasing: "can IPython access the same 
GUI library as VB.NET?"

And the answer is yes.

>A good place to start is with the Early Access program for 
>"IronPython in Action":
>http://www.manning.com/foord

I've just read the free first chapter.

Here's one paragraph (bottom of p. 12 of the PDF):
"IronPython uses .NET classes natively and seamlessly, and there are 
a lot of them.  Two
of the gems in the collection are Windows Forms and the Windows 
Presentation Foundation,
which are excellent libraries for building attractive and native 
looking user interfaces.  As a
Python programmer, you may be surprised by how straightforward the 
programmers interface
to  these  libraries  feels.    Whatever  programming  task  you  are 
  approaching,  it  is  likely  that
there  is  some  .NET  assembly  available  to  tackle  it.    This 
includes  third  party  libraries  for
sophisticated GUI components, like data grids, where there is nothing 
comparable available
for CPython. Table 1.1 shows a small selection of the libraries 
available to you in the .NET
framework."

I'm going to sign up for "MEAP + Ebook only" ($27.50) right now.

Thanks very much.

Dick Moores