Can Python replace Visual Basic? Should it?

[Steve Holden]

"Brad Bollenbach" <bbollenbach at homenospam.com> wrote in message
news:3q8p6.12338$hn5.1798569 at news1.rdc1.mb.home.com...
>
> "Alex Martelli" <aleaxit at yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:98266k0p5h at news1.newsguy.com...
> > "Brad Bollenbach" <bbollenbach at homenospam.com> wrote in message
> > news:5DZo6.11126$hn5.1578410 at news1.rdc1.mb.home.com...
> > > Again, I'm much more interested in the real world experience of those
> who
> > > used to use the big visual development tools in Windows like VB,
Delphi
> or
> > > Powerbuilder rather than theoretical answers.
> >
> > Why do you focus on 'used to use'?  One may perfectly well keep using
> > some VB (&c) for tasks it's particularly well-suited to, while using
> > Python wherever feasible (and, indeed, using both in the same project
>
> Certainly. And for all intents and purposes "used to use" isn't necessary,
> but the question happened to be directed (as its subject suggests) at
those
> who _have_ replaced VB with Python. :)
>
> But realistically, I just wanted to emphasize my interest in hearing
answers
> from those who have or currently are using VB or one of the other Win32
> visual development tools. Personally, I'm a former VB programmer now
working
> in Powerbuilder and am unhappy with both, again based on my dislike of
IDE's
> that obscure the programmer's view of what's going on.
>
> I could explain _why_ I don't like the 40,000 foot views of IDE's, but
> that's another thread.
>
> Brad
>
Well, I have both used and taught PowerBuilder.  I built a contact manager
system using it. It's good for creating GUIs, and embedded SQL is
beautifully easy. However, PowerScript is an abortion, with a half-assed
implementation of object orientation and decrepit implementations of many
functions. I hate not knowing whether a function is returning zero because
that's the result, or because an error was caught and translated into a
sentinel value.

Having said all this, I haven't yet found a tool as handy as VB for
generating GUIs, so I regards PowerBuilder as a lost cause. Not doing much
VB, come to that.

Python GUI construction is becoming easier by the day, tools like BlackAdder
and WingIDE will be commonplace within a year. So for now I'm not expending
too much effort ont he GUI side, as I'm not a Tkinter afficionado (I can use
it, but I'm sure Tk3k will be much better when it's finished, and would like
to see a GUI builder for that toolkit).

Don't know whether any of thishelps, just my 2c.

regards
 Steve