Python Webstart ?

[huy]

Carlos Ribeiro wrote:
> On Fri, 17 Sep 2004 21:43:04 +1000, huy <nytimes at swiftdsl.com.au> wrote:
> 
>>Hi,
>>
>>Just wondering if there were any plans (or existing projects) similar to
>>Java webstart for Python. I think this would be a boon for python. I
>>would love to start my new project using Python but the deployment (and
>>long term upgrading) factor is a major itch which pyfreeze and py2exe
>>just doesn't scratch properly.
> 
> 
> I sincerely don't understand why a Python Webstart would be more
> useful than pyfreeze and py2exe. If you're talking about some way for
> people to test your application without the need to install it, I can
> get it, but still I don't think that it's worth it. Remember -- the
> JVM is a near standard part of modern browsers, so it's relatively
> safe to assume that a lot of people (those using modern GUI browsers)
> will be able to test your program. But the Python VM is not designed
> to work like that; in the end, the user still would need to download
> some client library (a PyVM-plugin for browsers of sorts), which
> pretty much defeats the point of the Python Webstart.

Well not really. I don't mind doing one installation of a (Python/Java) 
webstart. However, it's the automatic update of the actual application 
software which I find most useful. The alternative using p2exe or 
pyfreeze will require me to distribute the (potentially large) binaries 
manually. For hundreds of terminals, this is not gonna be good, 
especially in an iterative environment.

> If you *really* want to program in Python and have it working with
> Webstart, why not do it using Jython? Once compiled, a Jython program
> is undistinguishable from a Java app -- both are meant to run under
> the JVM. I don't know if anyone did it before, but running Jython
> programs as Webstart applications should be possible, if not
> automatic.

That's an option but I don't quite trust using jython for a full blown 
application. I use it mainly for unittesting at the moment.

Thanks for the feedback,

Huy