From: l...@lkcl.net To: python-list@python.org i've been kindly sponsored by http://www.samurai.com.br to create direct python bindings to webkit's DOM: http://www.gnu.org/software/pythonwebkit/
the significance of this project is that it makes python a peer of javascript when it comes to manipulating HTML through DOM functions (including gaining access to the full features of HTML5 for example). anything that can be done with javascript (such as getElementsByTagName, appendChild etc.) can be done with python, in a declarative programming style (not as < script language="python" >). that means that the powerful features of HTML5 that were formerly pretty much exclusively available to javascript programmers are now equally available to python programmers, and webkit is known as being especially suited to embedded environments. anyone who has been following pywebkitgtk or pyjamas development will be aware that the previous python webkit DOM bindings, written in 2008, were based on top of glib/gobject bindings and used python-gobject to autogenerate them. whilst this approach worked, its future was made slightly awkward when the development of the gobject bindings were kindly taken over by free software developers who have been working hard to incorporate the full features of the original gobject bindings into webkit for almost a year, now. the pythonwebkit project therefore begins again, with *direct* access to webkit DOM functions and properties instead of going via an intermediate layer such as gobject. the source code for the pywebkitgtk project has been directly incorporated into the pythonwebkit project, making it a much simpler prospect to build. that does not mean that it's easy - just easier! for build instructions, please read the instructions at http://www.gnu.org/software/pythonwebkit/ which recommend reading of the original webkit build instructions on the original webkit developer web site, with specific advice on the additional python requirements. (please note that the ongoing development focus is on linux and embedded linux systems: windows and macosx developers are very much "on their own" as far as build procedures are concerned, but macosx developers are best advised to start from darwinports and to go from there. windows developers: good luck. send us a postcard from whatever loony bin you end up in, if they allow you access to crayons). for those people interested in pyjamas (http://pyjs.org), pyjamas desktop has already been updated accordingly, and is already useable with pywebkit. please note that this is a very early announcement, with quite a lot still left to do, but whilst there are known issues, the project is definitely at the "working" state and so is worthy of an announcement if anyone is interested in testing and contributing or just seeing what the fuss is about. l. p.s. it's worthwhile pointing out, for anyone who is interested, that if you wish to access a browser engine's DOM model on windows, it is much easier to use python-COM bindings to MSHTML than it is to try building webkit with python bindings on windows - but should you ever succeed in building pythonwebkit on windows, please do get in touch. if however you See The Light and realise in good time that it's a train coming straight at you, and decide to use python COM instead, i recommend looking at pyjd/mshtml.py and associated code in the pyjamas project - http://pyjs.org - and beginning from there. compiling webkit (and xulrunner) on windows really is that bad, and incorporating python into the mix really is likely to push your sanity off the edge of a cliff. if you succeed however, there are quite a lot of people who will be extremely grateful for your sacrifice, and who will come visit you and bring you flowers and children's colouring picture books on a regular basis. -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
