multiplayer online quizz game - can python help me?

[Tlo]

hello,

i would like to do the following, and as i had never used python in a
network framework i would like to have opinions on this :

i would like to provide some kind of network quizz game, each player
logged in and can then join 'playing rooms', in each rooms they had to
answers many quizz-like questions, after a game finished each players
involved in it are ranked from their corrects answers and the time
they spent to answer. results are saved in a shared database.
graphical interface can be very simple.

can python help me? do you know of similar tools/application i could
use as starting point?

(from a first idea i was thinking of something much more like java but
maybe python can do? i discarded php because i suppose it's more on
the client side)

thanks

 

[Lonnie Princehouse]

Yes, Python can help you. Try wxPython or Tkinter for the GUI, and
look into twisted (http://www.twistedmatrix.com) for the networking.

If twisted is too intimidating, the builtin socket module will
probably also suffice (albeit you'll have to write lots more code).

 

[Irmen de Jong]

Yes, Python can help you. Try wxPython or Tkinter for the GUI, and
look into twisted (http://www.twistedmatrix.com) for the networking.

If twisted is too intimidating, the builtin socket module will
probably also suffice (albeit you'll have to write lots more code).

Why step down to the bare metal when there are still high level
communication libraries such as my own Pyro, or xmlrpclib, out there?

Depending on OP's needs they might suit him just fine.
If possible, stay away from network programming code...

--Irmen

 

[Samuel Walters]

|Thus Spake Tlo On the now historical date of Tue, 06 Jan 2004 14:12:42
-0800|

i would like to provide some kind of network quizz game, each player
logged in and can then join 'playing rooms', in each rooms they had to
answers many quizz-like questions, after a game finished each players
involved in it are ranked from their corrects answers and the time they
spent to answer. results are saved in a shared database. graphical
interface can be very simple.

can python help me? do you know of similar tools/application i could use
as starting point?

Yes! Absolutely. Look into the twisted framework:
http://www.twistedmatrix.com/
Twisted will give you the tools to easily and legibly write server and
client software. There are various database modules for python that can
help you manage quiz questions, scores and answers. Which one you use
should depend on your level of knowledge and the environment you're in.

Take a look at PyRO:
http://pyro.sourceforge.net/
It probably won't be of any help in this type of application, but it might
also be a huge benefit to you.

(from a first idea i was thinking of something much more like java but
maybe python can do? i discarded php because i suppose it's more on the
client side)

Now I'm confused. PHP is a distinctly *server* side technology. It's
primary purpose is to create web interfaces to database data. What caused
you to discard it? I ask because you may have discarded the exact tool
you wanted to use if you want a web interface to your game.

HTH

Sam Walters.

 

[Lonnie Princehouse]

That's a good point. Twisted is about as high level as it gets, but
that comes with a steep learning curve. Pyro would do an excellent
job, and it's cake to use. In that light, the only reason to use
socket would be as an educational exercise =)

 

[Tlo]

thanks to all i will look to twisted. btw do you know of something
like a chat application developped upon a twisted framework ?

|Thus Spake Tlo On the now historical date of Tue, 06 Jan 2004 14:12:42
-0800|

Now I'm confused. PHP is a distinctly *server* side technology. It's
primary purpose is to create web interfaces to database data. What caused
you to discard it? I ask because you may have discarded the exact tool
you wanted to use if you want a web interface to your game.

i must be able to precisely measure time between each questions and
also be able to set up a countdown to the start of a game (with a
waiting room) and i'm afraid that i need to use too much of 'refresh'
in php pages.