[Tutor] GUI

[D.Edmons]

Hi,

Background:
I've compiled both python2 and python3 and am starting to learn them 
well enough to do a GUI application that requires UTF-8.  I've done 
quite a bit of maintenance programming (fixing bugs, minor updates, etc) 
but the only major application I've written was a disk driver for RT-11X 
on Linux using FUSE (quite a project, considering that I had no 
specification!).

Anyway, I suspect that I'll have to use python3 to take advantage of the 
UTF-8 (is there a __FUTURE__ option for python2?).  I've done some very 
minor GUI stuff, but what I need is an application that will do Hebrew 
(left <-- right) that actually attempts to "get it right".  Also, I'm 
creating a Hebrew Dictionary database and my GUI will have to work with 
it (ie. it is the whole purpose of this exercise).

I started out with Perl, but haven't made much progress.  Python kept 
coming up in my searches, so I'm attempting to switch over.  Here are 
the major features I hope to incorporate into the application:
	א) Hebrew keyboard application that will easily switch back and forth 
between English and Hebrew character sets.  Key assignments will be user 
defined or easily reprogrammed so that both standard and custom 
configurations can be made: (ie similar to 
http://www.lexilogos.com/keyboard/hebrew.htm )
	ב) Dual screen editor for simplified search and replace (hebrew with 
nikkud, with option to ignore the nikkud/vowels to find shoreshim/roots) 
feature.  One window will be the compiled dictionary.  The second window 
will be any Hebrew text (Torah, Siddur, etc...).  The application 
will--hopefully--automatically search the "dictionary" based upon the 
current cursor and add the English definition of the Hebrew word with a 
click or two.  (I'm learning Hebrew, as I go, studying every week, if 
not every day.)
	ג) Obviously, a menu bar with tools and other standard GUI bits and pieces.


Actual Request:

I'm running an older Debian Linux, that doesn't upgrade very well.  Is 
there anybody willing to help me at least get started or point me in the 
right direction?  Time isn't a huge factor.  I've been working on the 
database for five years now (using sqlite 3.7.3 and UTF-8 text). 
Knowledge of Hebrew would be a *huge* plus, but isn't required in any 
way.  I'm currently reading the Tutorials I've gleaned from the Python 
homepage.  I've never written more than trivial GUI applications.

I currently use leafpad for my UTF-8 editor.  Though it is a little 
buggy--this should be fixed if I can get my libraries uptodate--it 
handles the UTF-8 text as well as I expect it to, whereas others don't. 
  Thus, leafpad would be a reasonable model for the editor.

(btw, I got this e-mail link from the Website Tutorial which is supposed 
to be included in the distro--I haven't checked.)


Shalom,

Dale Edmons/
אֱלְעָד בֶּן אָבְרָהָם