[Pythonmac-SIG] Mac User Python newbies

[Chris Barker]

Bob Ippolito wrote:

>> Getting you, the Mac user who is familiar with scripting, up and 
>> running with -
>> 1) Python

There are a number of good books out there. I recommend "Dive Into 
Python" (in print or on the web) and "Learning Python"

>> 2) An IDE and debugger (Xcode?)

Don't be too dismayed by the lack of a fully-integrated IDE. While very 
nice when getting started, I'm not the least bit convinced that they 
really i8increase productivity in the long term. Among other things, I 
edit a lot of other text than Python Code, and I can only make really 
good use of all my editors features if I use the same editor for 
everything. I find I can be very productive with a good editor and a 
terminal. Check out iPython as well, for a better interactive 
interpreter. Remarkably, with Python, I still find print statement more 
efficient to use than a debugger.

>> 3) A GUI toolkit (wxWidgets?)
> I'd highly recommend PyObjC if cross-platform isn't an immediate goal.

Well, if it's a goal at all, consider other options. Otherwise, Bob is 
right, even though I've never used it.

> Other than that, wxPython seems to be the default, but you'll probably 
> have to fight with it to do what you want.

Bob, I know you don't think much of wxPython, but please don't bad-mouth 
it this way. Those of us that use it don't feel like we're fighting with 
it. The other cross-platform options are TkInter, which has been 
problematic on the Mac for years, but is now better? pyGTK, which uses 
X11 on OS-X, and PyQT, which has licensing issues. If you want all 
open-source and anything resembling a OS-X look, wxPython is the only 
real option, but you will end up with slightly less native feeling app 
than PyObjC.

-Chris

-- 
Christopher Barker, Ph.D.
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