[Tutor] Wishful thinking - Python and Docbook

[Magnus Lycka]

Hi Jay, I'm sure Python is a reasonable tool for such a
task. It sounds like a very ambitious first programming
project though.

Python is fairly strong on both GUI and XML handling.

If I were you, I'd try to identify different components
here, and try to think of smaller pieces that might be
useful on their own, but also useful in this application.

Maybe you could start with a piece of code that validates
Docbook XML, or converts to XML from some simple markup?

It's also a good thing to learn the Python standard lib
and various third party libraries. Don't reinvent the wheel.
Maybe reStructuredText & DocFactory would be useful to you.
See http://docutils.sourceforge.net/rst.html and
http://docutils.sourceforge.net/sandbox/gschwant/docfactory/README.html

I wouldn't start with GUI in my first Python code. It's not
the eaisest end to start in.

At 10:00 2002-10-20 -0400, Jay Dorsey wrote:
>I've been lurking on the mail list for a few weeks now and have become=20
>increasingly interested in learning Python.  However, I'm one of those=20
>people that learns best by doing things, and I've been trying to come up=20
>with a 'project' for myself to work on so I can maintain some focus.
>
>I'm a ColdFusion web developer with not much real programming experience,=
=20
>but I do feel I have the capacity for it (just not all the time I'd like=20
>at the moment).  One of the tools I would like to build as  part of what I=
=20
>have to do at work is some type of Docbook application, for creating=20
>documents that follow the Docbook specification. ColdFusion isn't the=20
>right tool for the job I'm almost certain of.  My question is, is Python?
>
>I'd like to build a GUI interface, something like a trimmed down Word,=20
>specifically that conforms to the Docbook XML specification.  What do I=20
>need to look into for the GUI part.  I understand that I still need to=20
>work on the core programming concepts, but if anyone can clue me in as to=
=20
>where to put some focus at (I see TkInter mentioned in posts, I know it's=
=20
>a GUI toolkit that can work on 'nix and Windows, but would it suit my=
 needs?).
>
>I know there isn't really any right or wrong to how I build this, I'm just=
=20
>looking for some advice from people that have experience.
>
>Also, if you know of anyone that's worked on, is working on, or wants to=20
>work on, a similar type project, please let me know; I've not been able to=
=20
>find anything of the like about it.
>
>Regards,
>
>Jay
>
>
>_______________________________________________
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--=20
Magnus Lyck=E5, Thinkware AB
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tel: 070-582 80 65, fax: 070-612 80 65
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