New project: anygui

[Magnus Lie Hetland]

Hi!

This is an attempt to revive the efforts of making a
"standard" Python GUI. I realise that standardising
one as preferable to others might not be desirable,
and that is not the purpose of this project. The
purpose is to build a pure Python package called
anygui which will function in a manner similar to
anydbm in that it will look for existing backends,
and use what is available.

A simple API must be decided on which will be compatible
with all back-end candidates, somewhat in the spirit of
Sping and Piddle. Therefore, this will not be mean
as a replacement for these back-ends, merely a simple
front-end.

I suggest using Greg Ewing's Python GUI API as a
starting-point:
http://www.cosc.canterbury.ac.nz/~greg/python_gui/

For a first release, a subset may be usable.

Backends that (at least) should be supported:

 - Tkinter
 - wxPython
 - Java (AWT and/or Swing)

... and hopefully many others. (Those of you out there
who have a package you love may want to step up and make
it compatible with anygui... :) Greg is himself working
on an X-windows implementation of the API.

The project is available at:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/anygui

A mailing-list called anygui-devel has been set up and
should be activated within a matter of hours. All
developers and other interested individuals are welcome.
The GUI SIG is no more - but it is my opinion that Python
needs a standard GUI package, even if it is a simple
one (perhaps _especially_ if it is a simple one).

--

  Magnus Lie Hetland         http://www.hetland.org

 "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in
  it, doesn't go away."           -- Philip K. Dick