Is there an equivalent to Java Webstart in Python?

[Nic Bar]

Hi everybody,
I want to develop a WEB based Python user appication that nees to be
downloaded and started grom a web server using a browser.
Does anybody know if there is an equivalent of Java WebStart for
python applications?

Nic

 

[James]

Use Jython or IronPython.
(Almost) One click web deployment is only available for Java and .NET
platforms at the moment.

 

[Nic Bar]

The problem with Jython is that I can only live inside the aplet
virtual machine,
I need a full features application with access to the local computer
resources.
Regarding IronPyhton, there is no released version yet.
I am looking for something that can be used now and plataform
independent (assuming the correct version of python is already
installed on the local computer)

Thanks

Nic

 

[Renato]

What use is Java WebStart, exactly?

Just make a .exe installer with everything (for windows), using for
example py2exe and InnoSetup, and a distutils compliant package for the
others.

 

[Nic Bar]

The idea is that I don't want to have the user installing anything in
his machine.
The only thing he/she may install is the virtual machine.
THis way I can modify the application as necessary without the need to
redeploy on each and one of the installed machines.

Nic

 

[David Wahler]

The problem with Jython is that I can only live inside the aplet
virtual machine,
I need a full features application with access to the local computer
resources.
Regarding IronPyhton, there is no released version yet.
I am looking for something that can be used now and plataform
independent (assuming the correct version of python is already
installed on the local computer)

All JWS does is download a few jar files and run them locally. I would
think it would be pretty easy to write a simple script that would take
an application from a zip file, expand it to a temporary directory and
run it with Python. Then all you have to do is give the zip files a
custom extension (maybe .par, for Python archive?) and associate that
extension with your script on the users' machines. But if you're asking
if something like this is included with Python out of the box, then the
answer is not as far as I know, sorry.

-- David

 

[James]

No! Jython does not have any of the problems you describe. Jython makes
Java byte code. Java bytecode can be deployed via Web Start. Period.
Jython can be used anywhere Java can be used. That's the whole beauty
of Jython. I am not hypothesizing. I actually did this a while ago and
it worked just fine. Why shouldn't it?

There is a released version of IronPython at
http://www.gotdotnet.com/workspaces/workspace.aspx?id=ad7acff7-ab1e-4bcb-99c0-57ac5a3a9742
In fact it's being released every 2-4 weeks for quite a while now.

True, IronPython is not quite there yet, but it works for most part.
..NET 2.0 One Click Deployment should work with the generated
executable. I have not tried this myself. Both Jython and Web Start are
definitely more mature at the moment.

 

[Kent Johnson]

The problem with Jython is that I can only live inside the aplet
virtual machine,

Only if you are writing an applet.

I need a full features application with access to the local computer
resources.

You can do this with Jython and JWS. Write your app in Jython, deploy
with JWS, be happy, go home early

I have some notes about it here:
http://personalpages.tds.net/~kent37/Python/JythonWebStart.html

Kent

 

[Kent Johnson]

What use is Java WebStart, exactly?

It's a way to deploy a Java app from a web site. Assuming the user has
Java installed, the app can be launched just by clicking a link on a web
page. The jar files are cached locally so they are only downloaded once,
the user can make desktop and Start menu shortcuts for the app, and you
can update users automatically by deploying new jars to the web server.
It's pretty nice and largely trouble-free.

Kent

 

[Ravi Teja]

Hi Kent,
Too complicated example . Jythonc works just fine to create a
regular jar file that you can reference in your jnlp file.

Ravi Teja.

 

[Kent Johnson]

Hi Kent,
Too complicated example . Jythonc works just fine to create a
regular jar file that you can reference in your jnlp file.

If it works for you, good. I have never been able to compile a real app
with jythonc and I gave up on it long ago.

Kent