Python Browser Applets

[Chris Liechti]

Terry Hancock <hancock at anansispaceworks.com> wrote in 
news:mailman.1036618569.11393.python-list at python.org:
>     2) Run as an independent Python application. For convenience,
>     this can be configured as a "Helper App" in the browser so it will
>     pop up when needed (Renderer already written -- actually a
>     choice of them, may require AnyGUI/PyUI contribs).

thats probably a good solution. even sun decided to go this way with Java 
Webstart. the "helper app" caches downloaded apps and verifies certificates   
etc. but it basicaly just registered a new mime-type in the browser that is 
started when a config file is downloaded. such a config is an XML with a 
download location for the real app.

so in that case you don't need to write any software that interoperates 
with the browser direcly. it's only started by the browser. it has its own 
configurator where you can setup the HTTP proxy etc. the only problem is 
how to register the mime type. but that's probably much easier to handle 
that writing a plugin.

so for a start we could begin with a simple helper app that parses a config 
file (passed by the browser) and uses urllib to fetch the application and 
then start it.
later there are extending possibilities like certificates, upgradable 
library, config tools...

chris
-- 
Chris <cliechti at gmx.net>