Question: tools for business apps development

[Robert M. Emmons]

> I hadn't thought about using XUL before. I need to study it better. I
> have a certain prejudice against using browser based apps -- for
> instance, I don't like browser based Java apps. 

No it is not like java apps.  Basically with python you can write an 
applciation that runs on your local host that either essentially surves 
up XUL or HTML/XHTML pages just like you might in Javascript -- only 
it's more like CGI scripting -- or using a fully Javascript generated 
page.  The advatnage of XUL over HTML is that you get control of the 
full window with native looking controls and components.

The other nice thing is that if you use this mode, an application can 
probably then be served from a web server at a later date if you want to 
do that.

I have not tried this -- but I did a little surfing and reading on the 
web a few months ago and it seemed both interesting and a little unique.

There is a book about this titled "Rapid Application Development with 
Mozilla" that talks all about this.  It is available free on the net 
(sorry can't remember the URL, or in print from the bookstore).  I don't 
know if this discusses python or not, but it certain discusses XUL and 
JavaScript.

> And I would really like to do it in Python, I think
> the language itself is mature and good enough for the job -- only the
> tools are missing.

Yes, I've not found anything really.  I assume you mean interface 
builders in particular?  For that matter -- are there any good 
opensource interface builders -- I mean really good and integrated with 
the IDE etc.  I've not seen any.

Rob