python is great

[Joe Strout]

M.-A. Lemburg wrote:

>> On the Mac in particular, if you want
>> your app to run on any PowerPC or Intel machine runing 10.4 or later,
>> and you're using anything not in the standard framework (such as
>> MySQLdb), it's a bit of a nightmare.
>>
> 
> You're looking for py2app:
> 
> http://undefined.org/python/py2app.html

No, I'm *using* py2app.  I've been trying to use it for a couple of 
weeks now, with the generous help of such people as Robin Dunn, and I 
still don't have it quite working properly.  (I'd be happy to send you 
my notes on what was required to get as far as I've gotten, but it's 
several pages, a bit long to post here.)

(py2exe works a little more easily, thank goodness.)

>> So I would say that Python as a language is great, and its standard
>> framework is great.  But its (many) IDEs are pretty poor, and the
>> process of building a polished, packaged app is abysmal. 
> 
> It's certainly work, but that's always the case for nicely polished
> apps :-)

In Python, yes.  :)  Not in all environments.

> For packaging, you can choose from a multitude of installer builders -
> none of which are really Python specific.

I'm not even talking about that level of packaging -- I'm just talking 
about making something that appears to the user like a normal 
executable, which they can double-click on their system and have it 
actually run, rather than aborting with something unhelpful like "No 
module named MySQLdb".

>> And there are
>> some things (such as Flash-style web applets) that you still can't do at
>> all in Python, even after all these years.
> 
> You're looking for Silverlight:
> http://www.voidspace.org.uk/ironpython/silverlight/index.shtml

Maybe.  I'm not a big fan of anything so Microsoftian, but I'll admit 
that this does mostly fit the bill I described above (or has the 
potential to, anyway).

Thanks,
- Joe