Chasing the IronPython and Various Other Free Desktop Development Tools

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Screw that balancing writing and developing post. It worked then. But now that I am building my own ideas. And that is where I have been for a while. I developed a few things to automate a few of my jobs in php and was stuck there for a while, but it paid off. While I was doing that, I found that some of the code I needed to build part of my idea had already been written, but in Python. So what the hell, I’d check it out. Sikuli was pretty awesome and I have used it for a few things and picked up the Python syntax.

So I would give it a try. But first, I had to find an IDE for it. Seems like a simple process. Not with me. I installed about 4 or 5 to check them out and found IronPython. Now I was not looking to write desktop software. I just wanted some dumb scripts I could cron. But if I could kill two birds with one stone… I have written Windows software before in Visual Basic 6, right before .NET came out. I didn’t know much about marketing then and only made a few hundred bucks the first year selling my software as shareware. I didn’t feel like upgrading to .NET was worth the trouble. And that was 7 years ago.

Since then I have played around a bit with AutoIt but found it too clunky for anything but basic programs without much features. I have tried a few macro tools. But nothing seemed worth the trouble to focus on. There are many ways to create windows applications with Python. Since I ran into Python through the Natural Language Toolkit as a piece I needed for my web application, creating desktop software was not a focus, so I wanted something easy and free. And here is what I installed:

It terms out that Visual Studio 10 does support Iron Python but you can’t use the WYSIWYG form designer yet. But using .NET 3 and SharpDevelop, you get a form designer. There is a beta version of Sharp Develop that supports .NET 4.0 but I tried it on two windows machines and it would not compile my executable. And it turns out that IronPython Tools for Visual Studio 2010 does not have a working form designer. Scratch that, because I am looking for RAD. Screw you purists that use a text editor. We have software for a reason. To make things easier. I make things hard enough on myself. So here is what I really ended up using:

  • Sharp Develop 3.2
  • The Visual Studio Shell
  • Iron Python 2.6.1

And here are some other possibilities I found in free bin:

  • QT – If I remember right, Skype and Google Earth are written in QT.
  • miniPHP – I am not sure if this one is going to make it. But it would have been an easy way out for me. Writing in PHP and compiling to an executable with windowing capabilities. Why do I wonder about it’s future? I have seen two of these come and go over the last few years, like RoadSend which I invested time in and then updates just stopped.
  • MonoDevelop – I have yet to investigate this one more. It’s a .NET IDE like Sharp Develop but it will create applications for Windows, Mac or Linux
  • Boa Constructor – A cross platform Python IDE and wxPython GUI Builder.
  • VisualWX – A RAD tool for C++, Python, Perl and Ruby

And that’s about that. And, oh yes, I wrote a piece of crap Google Scraper/Url Harvester just for the hell of it, which I am giving away. Why is it a piece of crap? Because it could do much more and I know that. But it is one piece of a bigger software suite I am writing which is why you have to join a list to get it. That way I can inform you when the bigger, better version comes out. Or you can bypass joining the list by downloading the software here, just because your my friend and all. Here is a screenshot of version #2. It is a work in progress and things can change. I finally tracked down a damn ribbon so my program can look all slick and shiny.

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40 Responses to “Chasing the IronPython and Various Other Free Desktop Development Tools”

  1. John

    Thanks for the reminder that we all need to be thinking outside the box in the ever changing online world.

  2. website designer delhi

    Python is a powerful programming language for a variety of reasons. It is object oriented, easy to maintain and debug, has a vast array of libraries ( inclkuding cgi, xmi, regex, etc. ). You can use it for client server apps. and Db projects quite easily. You’ll need to download the mysql module from sourceforge first however. As far as other databases are concerned, I think it can connect to most of them ( similar to PHP ).

  6. Hire PHP Developers

    Coming with new technologies and innovation’s in to online world is really great Developers always try to make software easy to use..As u done. :)

  10. Escorts Calgary

    I have a limited knowledge about Python programming language and actually I consider it as obsolete because of the fact that it was seldom use by programmers. But anyway, thanks for sharing this post and I’m looking forward for the next one. I might also consider using Python in my coming projects.

  13. Kareena

    someone tell me more about Python its great to see your all conversation so please let me know about it..

  15. Josh

    I was thinking the same thing Eric! Apart from that, a very interesting post. Thanks for making this available.

  21. Sytek MN Directory

    If you want to play with the new 2.0 toys, you can download the Express versions of VB.NET and C#.NET for free. Including the SQL Server 2005 Express all that allow you to write software and distribute it free of charge.

    I’m not sure if these will work with the Python add-on, I’m guessing they might. But you do get several other languages to play with, all for free.

  22. jessica32

    You can use it for client server apps. and Db projects quite easily. You’ll need to download the mysql module from sourceforge first however.

  23. Josi

    Hello, I found it very interesting that his documentary, today the web is widely used in programming.

  24. tavlaoyna

    its nice words .I have written Windows software before in Visual Basic 6, right before .NET came out. I didn’t know much about marketing then and only made a few hundred bucks the first year selling my software as shareware. I didn’t feel like upgrading to .NET was worth the trouble. And that was 7 years ago.

  28. Edmonton apartmnets

    I should say that Python is a great and very effective but I’m not very familiar with it yet. I’m only a beginner programmer and I’m looking forward to you other posts. Thanks for sharing this very informative blog. it motivated me to get out of my comfort zone and discover new things.

  32. CHRISTIAN

    You can use it for client server apps. and Db projects quite easily. You’ll need to download the mysql module from sourceforge first however. As far as other databases are concerned,

  34. Redundant Data Centers

    I think that IronPython is a Microsoft port. Python is a dynamic language or Programming Language to the .NET framework. Python provide maximum flexibility for the developer and keep readability of code. Microsoft create IronPython support system as follows:
    IronPython Studio, Silverlight, ASP.NET, The Microsoft Robotics Kit, XNA. Some Free Desktop Development Tools are Code::Blocks, HyperNext, LANSA, Lazarus, NetBeans and many others.

  35. christian louboutin

    J’aime cet article, et j’aime bien aussi votre blog. J’espère que vous pouvez bien écrir et poursuivre vos efforts, comme ça, nous pouvons voir plusieurs de vos articles.

  39. ferien last minute

    Thank you very much for providing the links to those tools and lists. It’s a bit difficult finding dofollow blogs. They are not as visible as the nofollow ones.You are right in saying the NF blogs outnumber the DF ones.

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