Windows GUIs from Python

[Bob Swerdlow]

Anyone have opinions about whether we will be better off using PythonNet or
wxPython for the GUI layer of our application on Windows? Our code is all
Python and is now running on Mac OS X with PyObjC and Cocoa, which works
very well. Our goal is not necessarily to move to a cross-platform
solution, but rather to create a solid Windows version that looks and feels
like a native application. All the code that interacts with the user is
factored out of our business logic, so it is a matter of find a good
view/controller library and writing a thin glue layer. And, of course, we
want to build it as efficiently and robustly as we can.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[Thomas Bartkus]

Anyone have opinions about whether we will be better off using PythonNet or
wxPython for the GUI layer of our application on Windows? Our code is all
Python and is now running on Mac OS X with PyObjC and Cocoa, which works
very well. Our goal is not necessarily to move to a cross-platform
solution, but rather to create a solid Windows version that looks and feels
like a native application. All the code that interacts with the user is
factored out of our business logic, so it is a matter of find a good
view/controller library and writing a thin glue layer. And, of course, we
want to build it as efficiently and robustly as we can.

Everyone has opinions

I have settled on wxPython principally because of
1) Linux/Gnome <-> MS Windows portablility of the code.
2) The fact that wxPython follows the look and feel of whatever window
themes might be installed in Linux/Gnome or MS Windows.
3) Apps so written have that native "look and feel" and fit right in.

Thomas Bartkus

 

[Doug Holton]

Anyone have opinions about whether we will be better off using PythonNet or
wxPython for the GUI layer of our application on Windows? Our code is all
Python and is now running on Mac OS X with PyObjC and Cocoa, which works
very well. Our goal is not necessarily to move to a cross-platform
solution, but rather to create a solid Windows version that looks and feels
like a native application. All the code that interacts with the user is
factored out of our business logic, so it is a matter of find a good
view/controller library and writing a thin glue layer. And, of course, we
want to build it as efficiently and robustly as we can.

I would also recommend wxPython. It runs on Macs, too, so you can at
least see how it compares to your PyObjC interface and keep primarily
developing on your Mac.
You might also be interested in PyGUI although it doesn't have a native
Windows implementation yet:
http://nz.cosc.canterbury.ac.nz/~greg/python_gui/

 

[Luke Skywalker]

You might also be interested in PyGUI although it doesn't have a native
Windows implementation yet:
http://nz.cosc.canterbury.ac.nz/~greg/python_gui/

Generally speaking, appart from MFC-style programming with Python32,
what are the non-alpha alternatives to write purely Windows apps in
Python today, ie. without the weight of extra bagage like wxWidgets?

I'm not looking at fancy options, since the apps I write would be fine
with just the core Windows widgets along with a few add-ons like a
grid and the extended Win95 widgets.

Thx
Luke.

 

[Thomas Heller]

Generally speaking, appart from MFC-style programming with Python32,
what are the non-alpha alternatives to write purely Windows apps in
Python today, ie. without the weight of extra bagage like wxWidgets?

I'm not looking at fancy options, since the apps I write would be fine
with just the core Windows widgets along with a few add-ons like a
grid and the extended Win95 widgets.

Well, venster. Although it is most certainly alpha. But with some
work...

Thomas

 

[Luke Skywalker]

Well, venster. Although it is most certainly alpha. But with some
work...

Thx, I'll keep an eye on it.

http://venster.sourceforge.net/

Luke.

 

[Jon Perez]

Wow, Venster looks cool and to think I've never
heard of it before. I knew following this
newsgroup would pay off one day...

 

[Jon Perez]

Still, what I think would appeal to a lot of people
(although they might not know it yet) as a GUI solution
for Python is Mozilla XUL with all the RDF and XPCOM
crap surgically removed from it.

If you've ever tried a couple of basic XUL tutorials, I
think you would be convinced that XUL is an even better
way to develop GUIs than visual RAD tools.

After years of doing web apps, I feel the DHTML/DOM
approach as applied to GUI creation is superior in terms
of learning curve, productivity and ease of code maintenance
to imperative language, event-driven, IDE-coupled frameworks
like Delphi, Windows Forms or Swing... except for the fact
that the HTML widgets (if you could even call them that) are
very primitive.

XUL essentially gives you full fledged GUI widgets and
allows you to script them from Javascript the same way
you script HTML elements via DOM or DHTML (very easily,
in other words). Now, imagine being able to use Python
instead of Javascript... sounds like a match made in
heaven to me.


Unfortunately, the Mozilla developers are too enamoured
with Javascript and RDF and XPCOM to realize that
XUL (which is really shaping up beautifully if you look
at Firefox and Thunderbird) is the real star in their
stable and many people would like to use it without being
forced to deal with the other complicated, overengineered
technologies surrounding it.