[Tutor] How to get smooth, terminal-like interaction over the web

[Alan Gauld]

"tchomby" <tchomby at googlemail.com> wrote


> It's a simple text-based program, the interaction would work 
> perfectly in a
> terminal with the computer printing out lines of text to the user, 
> and the user
> typing in lines of text and pressing return, and this is the kind of
> interaction I want to enable on a web page.

For small apps I'd suggest biting the bullet and learning JavaScript
and coding it in the browser.

The next best thing is either a Java applet - which can be written
in Jython - or an Ajax application. Both of these have a steepish
learning curve which is why I suggest learning JavaScript!

> the entire page to be reloaded every time there's an input or 
> output. So am I
> looking at ajax, javascript, etc.? I'm a little bit lost, not 
> knowing what's
> available out there.

Yes I think one of JavaScript, Jython, or Ajax will be best.
I believe that Django supports Ajax and I know TurboGears does.
If you go the JavaScript route check out Mochikit which makes
JS more like Python!

HTH,


-- 
Alan Gauld
Author of the Learn to Program web site
http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld