Advice request for project

[John French]

I've been interested in Python for a while now but haven't had an
opportunity to use / learn it. I'm tasked now with a project at work that
might be my first opportunity.

I have to write a ~75 concurrent user document storage app. that allows
users to scan documents from locally attached scanners and save to a
database for retrieval. I also need to be able to call MS Word with
templates and allow the user to save the file to the database. I think I
understand that I can interface MS COM for these, correct?

My interest is in using FreeBSD/Postgresql/Python as a back end and a Python
GUI app on the XP workstations. I'm going to end up adding some
non-database functionality to the project in the future that precludes only
using odbc to the database. I'll likely end up with some form of inter-user
messaging being incorporated before it's over. Is it better to write one
server side socket app to handle everything or start via odbc and necessary
server side apps later? If anyone can tell me if this project seems
appropriate to Python and offer suggestions as to an initial architecture,
I'd appreciate it. I'm quite interested in the RAD aspect of the language
but quite lost at the moment. (I did just sign up for the Tutor mailing
list).

Thanks in Advance

 

[Steve Holden]

I've been interested in Python for a while now but haven't had an
opportunity to use / learn it. I'm tasked now with a project at work that
might be my first opportunity.

I have to write a ~75 concurrent user document storage app. that allows
users to scan documents from locally attached scanners and save to a
database for retrieval. I also need to be able to call MS Word with
templates and allow the user to save the file to the database. I think I
understand that I can interface MS COM for these, correct?

My interest is in using FreeBSD/Postgresql/Python as a back end and a Python
GUI app on the XP workstations. I'm going to end up adding some
non-database functionality to the project in the future that precludes only
using odbc to the database. I'll likely end up with some form of inter-user
messaging being incorporated before it's over. Is it better to write one
server side socket app to handle everything or start via odbc and necessary
server side apps later? If anyone can tell me if this project seems
appropriate to Python and offer suggestions as to an initial architecture,
I'd appreciate it. I'm quite interested in the RAD aspect of the language
but quite lost at the moment. (I did just sign up for the Tutor mailing
list).

It sounds like an ideal project, and either approach would work. The
advantage to avoiding ODBC is that you won't experience any non-local
driver limitations which might or might not otherwise bite you in the
ass (my PostgreSQL experience is rather limited).

Look at the Pyrex package to get you started thinking about remote
execution and client/server communications. This lets a program on one
machine call methods on objects on another machine.

I'm sure you'll get other suggestions as well, but that'll get you
started thinking pythonically.

regards
Steve

 

[Peter Hansen]

Look at the Pyrex package to get you started thinking about remote
execution and client/server communications. This lets a program on one
machine call methods on objects on another machine.

Steve meant to say "Pyro", not "Pyrex". The former is what
he actually described. The latter is actually a Python-like
language that lets one write code that can be compiled as
an extension module, to write performance-critical code or
interface to existing libraries more easily.

-Peter

 

[Steve Holden]

Steve meant to say "Pyro", not "Pyrex". The former is what
he actually described. The latter is actually a Python-like
language that lets one write code that can be compiled as
an extension module, to write performance-critical code or
interface to existing libraries more easily.

Correct, Python Remote Objects is indeed what I meant. Thanks, Peter.

regards
Steve