Sort-of OT: Learning Python

[Rodney Somerstein]

>Is he building double-clickable graphical aqua apps? I can use 
>Python. The confusion is in figuring out how to set up wxWidgets (or 
>tkAqua), which GUI builder to use, which IDE, etc., etc.
>
>In any case -- if he knows of a set of instructions to get from here 
>to there, I'd love to know where they are.


Geoff,

Unfortunately, such instructions don't exist. I've been dabbling in 
Python with intent to really dive in for a few years now. There is a 
fairly friendly and helpful Python list for the Mac that can probably 
help you. There is a wxPython list where people can help you. There 
is also a PythonCard mailing list where people will help you. There 
is no resource that I'm aware of that ties all of this together 
nicely.

Also, while Bob Ippolito has done what seems like a fairly nice job 
on py2app, the standalone builder for Mac Python, he seems to hold a 
very low regard for readable documentation. He wrote the tool for 
himself and makes it available for the good of the community. But, 
people should just know how to make it work as far as I can tell. He 
will answer questions, but the answers usually assume that you have a 
sufficiently deep knowledge of Python to understand them. The problem 
seems to be that Mac Python is an all volunteer effort and no one has 
volunteered to write comprehensive documentation tying Python and 
py2app together so that a real newbie has a good chance of 
understanding it all. It is understandable that no one has written 
the same documentation for the Mac for wxPython and PythonCard as 
they aren't Mac specific.

The best approach, as far as I can tell is to first of all learn 
Python. You do this by first installing Python 2.4.3 from the build 
available at http://www.python.org/download/mac/. This page is a 
basic page describing how to get started and why to install Python 
rather than using the one built into OS X. Then, use any decent book 
on Python to learn the language itself.

Next, I would learn to use py2app. Unfortunately, the only good 
resource that I know for learning this tool is to join the MacPython 
SIG mailing list - 
http://www.python.org/community/sigs/current/pythonmac-sig. You will 
get all the help you need there with a little asking.

Then, learn wxPython for developing GUI apps. You can probably do 
this at the same time that you learn PythonCard. Again, join the 
PythonCard mailing list and probably the wxPython mailing list for 
help.

If you happen to find a resource that shows you how to create a 
standalone hello world app in Python on the Mac, please post about it 
here. I've never seen such a thing but would love to find one.

-Rodney