On 2007-07-10, CC <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I wish to accomplish a few PC programming tasks, and am > considering to learn Python: > > 1. Develop a simple GUI program to run on Linux and Windows > which can send parameters and small blocks of data to an > embedded microcontroller device via RS-232 or USB. Also > display simple data (probably single numbers) sent from the > device. > > Note, if it is USB, then the client will be implemented by > me using FTDI chips that appear to the PC as a serial port.
I do a lot of that sort of thing using Python. I'd probably recommend using pyserial and wxWidgets. Both are cross-platform. http://pyserial.sourceforge.net/ http://www.wxpython.org/ In any case, both "normal" PC serial ports and USB-serial ports looks the same to a Linux app. Windows support for stuff like that wasn't so good last time I tried, but it's supposed to work. > 2. Develop a simple vector drawing program that will allow one > to freehand draw a sketch composed of a few lines, or > perhaps render text in a vector form. Then sample the > lines with a certain (user configurable) spacing, and use > the mouse to move the sample points along the lines to > tweak the sample locations if desired. Then output a file > of X,Y coordinates for the samples. > > What is this crazy thing for? It's to develop simple > lasershow vector frames. I am also designing a DSP-based > lasershow output device, so the same capabilities of > delivering a data payload over serial/USB to a target > device will be needed here as well. Most of the graphics I do with Python is with Gnuplot (not really appropriate for what you want to do. wxWidgets/Floatcanvas might be worth looking into. > I would prefer to be able to write a program that is cross-platform > between Linux and Windows. I realize this might be especially > problematic with the serial comms. Not at all. Cross-platform serial stuff is easy. > I am also confused by the plethora of Python GUI extensions, > though Tkinter seems like a likely candidate. I am uncertain > if I will have difficulty learning how to use this if I don't > know Tcl/Tk. Tk's canvas widget is pretty powerful, and you don't need to know Tcl -- it's all hidden behind a veneer of Python. > Do you think Python is the right language for these projects? It's what I use for stuff like that. -- Grant Edwards grante Yow! MERYL STREEP is my at obstetrician! visi.com -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
