Standalone Client App for Windows

wxPython Users
1

Cheers,

I am looking for a portable GUI package that I could use to write a
standalone client application for Windows. I looked at wxWindows first
but I found the pure C++ API a bit frightening :slight_smile: I like Python so I was
relieved when I learned about wxPython. However, I am not sure that I can
use it in this case. My job is to write a (preferably small) application
that users can download and install quickly and easily. The application
will do some file up- and downloading from/to a central server. The
target OS will be Windows for now but other platforms might be supported
later. Users do not necessarily have Python installed.

My question:

Is wxPython the reight choice for the project? Is it possible to create
an install package that contains only the required dependencies (Python
interpreter + required Python modules and libraries + wxPython modules +
wxWindows libraries) so the user will not have to install Python? What do
you think the size of this 'minimal' package would be?

The client app should support different Windows versions,
(95/98/NT/2000/XP). Are there any wxPython (wxWindows) specific gotchas
regarding different Windows versions that one should be aware of before
embarking on the mission?

Do you know of any similar projects done in wxPython that I should take a
look at?

Any suggestions or comments are welcome.

Thanks for your help,

Josh Winter

2

My question:

Is wxPython the reight choice for the project? Is it possible to create
an install package that contains only the required dependencies (Python
interpreter + required Python modules and libraries + wxPython modules +
wxWindows libraries) so the user will not have to install Python? What do
you think the size of this 'minimal' package would be?

I have developed several apps for limited deployment at my workplace (QA
tools, that sort of thing) using wxPython along with py2EXE and Inno Setup
Compiler with success. The installer package is deployed as a single EXE
over our network from a shared file system, and they install it on thier
workstations like any other Win program (Inno even creates a nice
uninstaller).

The client app should support different Windows versions,
(95/98/NT/2000/XP). Are there any wxPython (wxWindows) specific gotchas
regarding different Windows versions that one should be aware of before
embarking on the mission?

W95/98/ME have a few gotchas but they are not insurmountable as long as you
don't get 'cute' and also remember that 2K/XP stores user-specific
information differently than the others. You'll need to do a bit of
experimentation here, but in my experience, straightforward GUI apps are
pretty portable across everything from 95 on up.

The big gotcha here is the network support, which wxPython doesn't support
natively, so you will have to navigate the tangled web of Python socket
libraries to find out what works and what doesn't (simple is good here).

3

Lajos Nagy wrote:

Cheers,

I am looking for a portable GUI package that I could use to write a
standalone client application for Windows. I looked at wxWindows first
but I found the pure C++ API a bit frightening :slight_smile: I like Python so I was
relieved when I learned about wxPython. However, I am not sure that I can
use it in this case. My job is to write a (preferably small) application
that users can download and install quickly and easily. The application
will do some file up- and downloading from/to a central server. The
target OS will be Windows for now but other platforms might be supported
later. Users do not necessarily have Python installed.

My question:

Is wxPython the reight choice for the project? Is it possible to create
an install package that contains only the required dependencies (Python
interpreter + required Python modules and libraries + wxPython modules +
wxWindows libraries) so the user will not have to install Python? What do
you think the size of this 'minimal' package would be?

The client app should support different Windows versions,
(95/98/NT/2000/XP). Are there any wxPython (wxWindows) specific gotchas
regarding different Windows versions that one should be aware of before
embarking on the mission?

Do you know of any similar projects done in wxPython that I should take a
look at?

Any suggestions or comments are welcome.

Thanks for your help,

Josh Winter

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I have deployed Python and wxPython at work, as well as at home. We use 2k at work, and I have had little trouble with standard http, smtp, imap, and ftp protocols. I haven't had to use any other type of network socket though.

I have also used the inno setup, py2exe and I have found that the applications build into packages around 3.75(avg) megs in size compressed into the setup file, and about 8-9 megs installed.

The wxPython toolkit contains a WEALTH of functions that make life horribly easy. Functions to set colors, functions to retrieve OS information such as hostname, user, OS Description and version, built in logging, built in html widgets... The list goes on and on... I won't bore you with it. Check out www.wxpython.org and the wxPython wiki http://wiki.wxpython.org/, there's a bunch of extremely useful information there.

路路路

--
"When you do become Satan's Mistress, as you've always dreamed, don't forget us, the little people"

4

Lajos Nagy wrote:

Cheers,

I am looking for a portable GUI package that I could use to write a
standalone client application for Windows. I looked at wxWindows first
but I found the pure C++ API a bit frightening :slight_smile: I like Python so I was
relieved when I learned about wxPython. However, I am not sure that I can
use it in this case. My job is to write a (preferably small) application
that users can download and install quickly and easily. The application
will do some file up- and downloading from/to a central server. The
target OS will be Windows for now but other platforms might be supported
later. Users do not necessarily have Python installed.

My question:

Is wxPython the reight choice for the project? Is it possible to create
an install package that contains only the required dependencies (Python
interpreter + required Python modules and libraries + wxPython modules +
wxWindows libraries) so the user will not have to install Python? What do
you think the size of this 'minimal' package would be?

The client app should support different Windows versions,
(95/98/NT/2000/XP). Are there any wxPython (wxWindows) specific gotchas
regarding different Windows versions that one should be aware of before
embarking on the mission?

Do you know of any similar projects done in wxPython that I should take a
look at?

Any suggestions or comments are welcome.

Thanks for your help,

Josh Winter

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Oh yeah, I totally forgot, when you install wxPython on Windows, check out the Help file in the program menu for wxPython. It's a huge help too!

路路路

--
"When you do become Satan's Mistress, as you've always dreamed, don't forget us, the little people"