comparing alternatives to py2exe

[Jonathan Hartley]

On Nov 6, 3:07 pm, Kevin Walzer <k... at codebykevin.com> wrote:
> On 11/3/09 10:58 AM, Jonathan Hartley wrote:
>
> > Hi,
>
> > Recently I put together this incomplete comparison chart in an attempt
> > to choose between the different alternatives to py2exe:
>
> >http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tZ42hjaRunvkObFq0bKxVdg&output...
>
> I noticed information on py2app was mostly missing from your chart.
>
> --single exe file: yes, with qualification. On the Mac, standalone
> applications are actually directories called "application bundles"
> designed to look like a single file that can be double-clicked on. So, a
> lot of stuff--the Python libraries, icons, other resource files--are
> hidden inside the app bundle.
>
> --without unzipping at runtime--Yes.
> --control over output directory structure--no.
>
> --creates installer too: yes, with qualification. If you're building an
> app, you don't use an installer--the standard Mac method is
> drag-and-drop installation. You can also use py2app to package up Python
> libraries, and for these, it can create a standard Mac pkg installer.
>
> --Python 3--not yet, as far as I know.
> --can run as -O--not sure.
> --control over process/ouput--not sure what this means.
> --distribution size--Varies widely. A big Python application with lots
> of libraries can exceed 100 megabytes, easily. A Python/Tkinter app with
> no other extensions would weigh in at about 20 megabytes--that's the
> smallest.
> --active development--some, but only in svn. Last stable release was a
> few years ago.
> --active mailing list--no standalone mailing list, but the PythonMac-sig
> mailing list has lots of discussion and bug reporting on py2app.
>
> --
> Kevin Walzer
> Code by Kevinhttp://www.codebykevin.com


Thanks heaps Kevin - I don't have a Mac, so I was just inferring
information about py2app. Although my app does run on Macs and one of
my Mac-loving friends has kindly agreed to help me produce Mac
binaries, so this information is brilliant to know. Many thanks!

  Jonathan