One of the things that is sorely missing in enterprise backup frameworks is an embedded dynamic language. C and C++ APIs tend to be rather inaccessible to users who find themselves limited to which API functions the programmer chose to use. Providing easy entrypoints where end users can control and extend a piece of software is one of the best ways to foster adoption and possibly even completely unexpected uses of the software.
As a Python programmer myself, I would have to say that wxPython would have my vote. As Jo notes, it does have some very nice tools available and is also well documented (the author, Robin Dunn, also released a book on it this year which is nicely paced for newcomers). It is also easily packaged and compiled so distribution of programs written in it need not be dependent on a local installation with all dependencies. Possibly the biggest drawback to using Python for a Bacula GUI is that Bacula's Python API does not fully wrap the C++ API. Thus, building a GUI on it would require taking this intermediate step first whereas Kern's choice of C++ has no such dependency and is already well-known to him. That said, the foundations are there given that Python is already embedded in Bacula. Creating the scaffolding that allows Python to talk to the underlying C++ APIs is not rocket science and a lot can be done automatically with tools like SWIG (wxPython itself is created this way and is nothing more than a wrapper of wxWidgets). Kern is, of course, Bacula's BDFL, so his choice stands. Ultimately, the right GUI toolkit is the one the main developer is motivated enough to learn and he should have fun doing so. Those of us in the peanut gallery don't have much right to criticize the choice unless we are prepared to dive in and spend as much time on this new component as he is. ;-) --PLB At 17:28 30.9.06, Jo wrote: >Did you consider wx-python. There is Boa-constructor as the IDE, but >apparently you lean very much towards QT. I'm mostly sad because you >move away from Python, since I don't know any C++. OTOH I don't have >time to pitch in, so I don't really have too much to say about it. >I do hope you will find somebody who feels like helping. A GUI for >Bacula is long overdue. > >All the best, > >Jo > >------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Take Surveys. Earn Cash. Influence the Future of IT >Join SourceForge.net's Techsay panel and you'll get the chance to share your >opinions on IT & business topics through brief surveys -- and earn cash >http://www.techsay.com/default.php?page=join.php&p=sourceforge&CID=DEVDEV >_______________________________________________ >Bacula-users mailing list >Bacula-users@lists.sourceforge.net >https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bacula-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Take Surveys. Earn Cash. Influence the Future of IT Join SourceForge.net's Techsay panel and you'll get the chance to share your opinions on IT & business topics through brief surveys -- and earn cash http://www.techsay.com/default.php?page=join.php&p=sourceforge&CID=DEVDEV _______________________________________________ Bacula-users mailing list Bacula-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bacula-users
