Building a web questionnaire, can it be done in Python ?

[Stef Mientki]

hello,

I'm considering building a web questionnaire in Python.
I've made several desktop applications in Python /  wxPython,
but I've no experience in using Python on a webserver,
and I don't have much knowledge about web applications in general.

As am quit familiar with Python,
therefor it sounds evident to me to make the web application in Python,
but I'm not sure that's really the best way.

I've googled, but the links I get, makes me more confused:
Zope, Plone , ...??
And I can find a lot in other languages Perl, JavaScript, PHP, CGI, ...

So maybe someone on this list can give me some advise,
a good starting point,
because it's almost impossible to evaluate all the possibilities myself,
and I'm afraid the first choice will be the final choice ;-)

The questionnaires are used to diagnose and treat all kinds of patients 
in a hospital.
Therefor I need 2 versions, a web-version and a desktop version,
the latter I need to be able to lock the computer.
The desktop version is no problem, neither the locking.
Also the analysis and reporting of the data will be done in a desktop 
application.

The problematic (at least form my point of view) requirements:
================================================

The content and layout comes from an existing database.

The layout of the desktop version and the web-version should be almost 
identical to the paper and pencil version
(most norms are based on the paper and pencil version)

The questions can have different forms, multiple choice, multiple choice 
with multiple answers, but also things like sliders.
The answering should also be possible with the keyboard only: e.g. 
1,2,.. for the answers, PgUp / PgDn or Enter for previous / next question.

The web application should have some kind of security (soap ? https ?) 
and a login.

Depending on answers to previous questions, some questions should be 
ignored.
Depending on answers to previous questions, some questionnairies should 
be ignored.

Patient should be able to browse within 1 questionnaire, but not to the 
previously answered ones.

After each questionnaire there should be check if all questions were 
answered.

Should run in IE and Mozilla.

I'm not sure about this one yet:
While a session can take several hours,
it could be beneficial to connect to the internet only at some 
intermediate intervals,
or when one questionnaire is completely finished.

thanks,
Stef