[Pythonmac-SIG] What do people use Mac Python for?

[tom smith]

>> I have a project I'm starting to sketch out that will require a warm, fuzzy
>> GUI that gives inexpert users access to data in a remote database and allows
>> them to do some very simple, text-based visualizations. The final
>> application _MUST_ run on the Mac (OS 9, though a clear path to OS X is
>> clearly important) and on Windows; any other platforms are gravy.

> Would slipping a web server and browser(s) into the mix help with your GUI
> needs?
> (For that matter, the "web server" could *be* your Python code.)

I think creating or working with a webserver at this point may be going a
shade too far. Think about using python as a cgi or zope or something at the
server side to manipulate the data (maybe doing popular queries pre-canned).

I'd seriously suggest you consider Flash. Don't laugh. It can send requests
(in xml might be worth considering, that way you can easily swap your
backend if you need to) and display the data in a really fuzzy, friendly
manipulable way.
 
> Your inexpert users probably have some experience with browsers.

Exactly...

> any other platforms are gravy.

You get potatoes as well with Flash... OSX, unix
 
> --John (who has never done GUI in Python on any platform, beyond copying
> "hello world" fields and "Press me" buttons from the beginnings of
> tutorials)

Tom -- (Who has only ever done the Flash tutorials and not quite made a
button that you can click yet and looks up to John's python GUI prowess.)

-- 
tom smith | tom@othermedia.com
http://www.othermedia.com/blog
tel 020 8541 5355  | fax 020 8541 5507
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