VB to Python migration

[Ravi Teja]

Magnus Lycka wrote:
> Ravi Teja wrote:
> > 230 UI screens is a lot. An app of that nature is not something people
> > commonly do in Python (although I would be happy to see people show me
> > wrong).
>
> Maybe not, but I don't doubt that it's reasonable to replace a
> VB app with 230 UI screens with Python code.
>
> A code of that size is something that's grown over time, and if
> it's rewritten, it seems likely that it will end up with fewer
> screens without fewer features.

Rewrites are always good and result in smaller code base if features
are not added. However, I doubt that will make the screens fewer. Lines
of code? Certainly.

> Besides, while VB makes it very easy to duplicate a lot of code,
> and end up in a situation where you have to manually change things
> 230 times through the GUI if something changes in all screens, it's
> very convenient to use inheritence for GUI development with e.g.
> wxPython. I supect the screens have a lot in common, and that it
> would be fairly clear how to build a class hierachy of that, and
> avoid code duplication. The end result will be a more homogenous
> application and a lower maintenance cost.

You are comparing Python with VB 6. That's not what the OP is moving to
as an alternative. It's .NET. VB 6 has been out of development since 8
years? Its not something to be compared to anymore. .NET on the other
hand has all the advantages of Python accessible toolkits for this task
and then some. For example, it's not just inheritance but visual
inheritance. It's not just a GUI but GUI with data bindings, with
sophisticated caching, paging etc. GUI Builders are far more
sophisticated and integrated than, say wxGlade.

I am not saying Python is unfit for 230 screens. Just that I have not
seen anyone build such a thing and better write about it. People on the
other hand have build web sites with such volume. Result? We have a ton
of web application frameworks to address such needs. We would have the
same for Data GUIs if that was the case. We have people drooling over
TurboGears, not Dabo (apologies Dabo team).

> The really silly thing to do is to apply VB idioms on Python.

It is. But that's what people do on their first few projects and it's
perfectly natural. Didn't you :-) ?