6 Qustions about Python: Does it do GUI? more...

[SBrunning at trisystems.co.uk]

> From: Will [mailto:k4bda at yahoo.com]
> I just discovered Python and looked briefly at one of the tutorials 
> for beginners...

Welcome!

> It looks a lot like the old Command line Basic... I'm sure it does 
> much more but...
> 
> 1 - Can you create windows, buttons, user input fields, etc as you 
> can with Visual Basic?

Yes - though Python doesn't come with a GUI builder as standard. (The form
builder is the thing that allows you to design your GUI by dragging your
buttons etc. around.) Such things are available for Python, though -
PythonCard (<http://pythoncard.sourceforge.net/>) might be a nice start.

> 2 - Can you call Windows Procedures or what ever they call them 
> these days?

Yes. In fact, I'm not sure what you mean by "Windows Procedures", but a
combination on Mark Hammond's windows extensions
(<http://starship.python.net/crew/mhammond/>) and Thomas Heller's ctypes
(<http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/ctypes/>) allows you to call just
about anything on Windows.

> 3 - Can you create your own objects with a bunch of methods and 
> properties?

Yup, Python's an OO language.

> 4 - Can you create a Windows program that looks and feels like a 
> Windows program?

Yes.

> 5 - Does it come with a compiler or must the user have the 
> interpreter on their machine?

No and no. ;-) Python is a little (lust a little) like Java in this respect
- the user needs the Python virtual machine to run Python software. This is
pretty much bound up with the interpreter, so I think it's fair to say that
the user needs the interpreter.

But, Thomas Heller's py2exe
(<http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/py2exe/>) allows you to bind up
the interpreter and your code into an 'exe' file. For all but a few
purposes, this does what most people want a compiler for.

> 6 - Why another language? Easier than C or C++ or Visual C ?? More 
> powerful than Visual Basic or the competing Borland productg?? Why 
> Python?

Easier than C or C++ or Visual C? Yes. More powerful than Visual Basic and
Delphi (or whatever they are calling it these days)? Also yes.

But mainly, 'cos it's beautiful and fun. And Python is the language for nice
people: <http://www.brunningonline.net/simon/blog/archives/001202.html>.

> I'm interested as I never really took the time to become much of a C 
> programmer (or C++ or Visual C) - I've done lot's of assembly 
> language/embedded processor stuff & years ago Basic and some Visual 
> Basic... before .net... and wondered if Python would do me for some 
> projects I have always wanted to do?

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Simon B.
simon at brunningonline.net
http://www.brunningonline.net/simon/blog/
--LongSig




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