Python Webstart ?

[Fredrik Lundh]

"huy" <nytimes at swiftdsl.com.au> wrote:

> 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.

As long as you don't insist on upgrading Python itself all the time, that's
pretty easy.  Here's how I usually do it:

1) Wrap the Python parts of your application in one or more ZIP archives.

2) Add a thin wrapper that can check for new versions of the ZIP archives
(and optionally install them) before starting the rest of the application:

    if check_for_updates():
        install_updates()
    fix_path()
    import my_application

3) Create a "platform" release that contains a python build, the extensions
you need, and a "baseline" version of your application.  Use your favourite
tool for this purpose (eg. py2exe).

4) Let your users install the platform release.

5) When you prepare new versions, build new ZIP import packages
and put them where the wrapper can find them.

The wrapper can also install new versions of required extensions, offer
access to earlier versions of the application, etc.

I use a variation of this technique for the effbot.exe platform:

    http://effbot.org/zone/effnews-exe.htm

Here, the core installer simply installs Python (2.1, in this case) plus some
extensions, and a default application.  Updates and additional applications
are shipped as "effbot" files, which are basically zipped-up PYC archives.
Works like a charm.

</F>