Choosing Python/SQLObject webframework - python

I have a regular desktop application which is written in Python/GTK and SQLObject as ORM. My goal is to create a webinterface where a user can login and sync/edit the database. My application is split up in different modules, so the database and gtk code are completly separate, so I would like to run the same database code on the webserver too.
So, I would like to know if there's a webframework which could handle these criteria:
User authentication
Use my own database code/SQLObject
Some widgets to build a basic ui
This would be my first webproject, so I'm a bit confused by all searchresults. CherryPy, Turbogears, web2py, Pyramid? I would be happy if someone could give me some pointers what would be a good framework in my situation.

Any of the options you name would work. Scan through their docs, and decide what looks like the nicest to you.
Flask is another lightweight option: http://flask.pocoo.org/
Django would work too (just ignore its ORM for your own work, and configure it to look at a different database within your database server, to keep it separated from your own ORM).

Try the pyramid, it does not impose anything you like as opposed to Django. And has a wealth of features for building Web applications at any level.

Related

How could I configure it so that the user who is logging in is a user of a PostgreSQL database manager?

I am developing a web application, I would like to know how I can configure it so that the user who is logging in is a user of the PostgreSQL database manager, generally there is a superuser who has permissions to freely manage all the databases, but other users with a lower hierarchy can be added, so I would like it to be possible to access as such with those users created in the DBMS. I use python as programming language and django as framework.
I really have no idea how to achieve this functionality, I'm starting my studies, I want to surprise my database teacher with something different from the rest of the students, and I would like someone to help me with this, I don't expect a complete solution, just a guide and references to be able to achieve what is proposed

Using custom python classes alongside Django app

In a school project, my team and I have to create a shopping website with a very specific server-side architecture. We agreed to use python and turned ourselves towards Django since it seemed to offer more functionalities than other possible frameworks. Be aware that none of us ever used Django in the past. We aren't masters at deploying application on the web either (we are all learning).
Here's my problem: two weeks in the project, our teacher told us that we were not allowed to use any ORM. To me, this meant bye bye to Django models and that we have to create everything on our own.
Here are my questions: as we already have created all our python classes, is there any way for us to use them alongside our Django app? I have not seen any example online of people using their own python classes within a Django app. If it were possible, where should we instantiate all our objects? Would it be easier to just go with another framework (I am thinking about Flask). Am I just missing important information about how Django works and asking a dumb question?
We have 4 weeks completed and 6 more to go before finishing our project. I often see online "use Flask before using Django" since it is simpler to use. We decided on Django because in the project description, Django was recommended but not Flask.
Thanks for the help.
Without being an absolute Django expert, here is my opinion.
The Django ORM is far from being the only feature this Framework has to offer (URLs routing, test client, user sessions variables, etc.), but surely it is one the main component you want to use while working with Django since it is often directly linked to other core features of Django.
If using the ORM is completely forbidden, a lot of features out of the box won't be available for you. One of the main features I can think about is the admin interface. You won't be able to use it if the ORM is not an option for you.
So, in my opinion, you should go for another Framework like Flask. Mainly because without using the ORM, some of the Django value is gone.
Hope it helps!

Desktop Python App with Online Storage

I am looking for a 'sanity check' before I start working on this, as I'm new to writing server-side code. I want to stick to Python if possible, since that's what I'm used to!
I have written a desktop app (wxPython) that allows offsite employees to record their working times, the results of which they currently email to the company. I want to be able to have them save data directly to an 'online' location, from which the company can get summary data.
From what I have read (mostly here on StackOverflow) leads me to think I should do the following:
Run a database on the server with local access only (I'm favouring RethinkDB...)
Write a Python server app that can access the database but only exposes the functionality needed per user. Probably with different ports for users, payroll, and admin (me). Secure the sockets with TLS.
Add code to the desktop app to access the server.
Is this a good approach, or am I reinventing wheels and should learn to use Django or some other web framework?
As Paulo Almeida suggested in the comments making a REST application you interface with your wxPython application is probably the way to go. For this django may be a solution but it is probably an overkill microframework such as web.py, flask or bottle is enough and more easier to grasp

GUI interface for sqlite data entry in Python

I am making a simple sqlite database for storing some non-sensitive client information. I am very familiar with python+sqlite and would prefer to stick with this combo on this project. I would like to create an simple GUI interface for data entry and searching of the database... something very similar to what MS Access provides. I want my wife to be able to enter/search data easily, so PHPmyadmin style things are out of the question.
I understand I could just give in and get MS Access, but if reasonbly possible would rather just write the code myself so it will run on my computers (*nix) and is flexible (so I can later integrate it with a web application and our smart phones.)
Can you developers recommend any interfaces/packages/etc (preferably pythonic) that can accomplish this with reasonable ease?
Thanks!
Since you're interested in future integration with a web application, you might consider using a Python web framework and running the app locally on your machine, using your web browser as the interface. In that case, one easy option would be web2py. Just download, unzip, and run, and you can use the web-based IDE (demo) to create a simple CRUD app very quickly (if you really want to keep it simple, you can even use the "New application wizard" (demo) to build the app). It includes its own server, so you can run your app locally, just like a desktop app.
You can use the web2py DAL (database abstraction layer) to define and create your SQLite database and tables (without writing any SQL). For example:
db = DAL('sqlite://storage.db')
db.define_table('customer',
Field('name', requires=IS_NOT_IN_DB(db, 'customer.name')),
Field('address'),
Field('email', requires=IS_EMAIL()))
The above code will create a SQLite database called storage.db and create a table called 'customer'. It also specifies form validators for the 'name' and 'email' fields, so whenever those fields are filled via a form, the entries will be validated ('name' cannot already be in the DB, and 'email' must be a valid email address format) -- if validation fails, the form will display appropriate error messages (which can be customized).
The DAL will also handle schema migrations automatically, so if you change your table definitions, the database schema will be updated (if necessary, you can turn off migrations completely or on a per table basis).
Once you have your data models defined, you can use web2py's CRUD system to handle all the data entry and searching. Just include these two lines (actually, they're already included in the 'welcome' scaffolding application):
from gluon.tools import Crud
crud = Crud(db)
And in a controller, define the following action:
def data():
return dict(form=crud())
That will expose a set of pre-defined URLs that will enable you to create, list, search, view, update, and delete records in any table.
Of course, if you don't like some of the default behavior, there are lots of ways to customize the CRUD forms/displays, or you can use some of web2py's other forms functionality to build a completely custom interface. And web2py is a full-stack framework, so it will be easy to add functionality to your app as your needs expand (e.g., access control, notifications, etc.).
Note, web2py requires no installation or configuration and has no dependencies, so it's very easy to distribute your app to other machines -- just zip up the entire web2py folder (which will include your app folder) and unzip it on another machine. It will run on *nix, Mac, and Windows (on Windows, you will either need to install Python or download the web2py Windows binary instead of the source version -- the Windows binary includes its own Python interpreter).
If you have any questions, there's a very helpful and responsive mailing list. You might also get some ideas from some existing web2py applications.
I normally use GTK+ that has well documented Python bindings.
The biggest advantage is that you can use a fairly intuitive GUI editor (Glade) and automagically link callbacks to events (to be honest most other major graphical toolkits have this possibility too, like for example QT, but my perception is that GTK+ enjoys wider adoption in the Python community). EDIT: additionally GTK is used by Gnome and many other desktop environments (KDE uses QT though).
That said, if all you need is truly just data insertion from a trusted person, you could use something already done like SQLite manager (it's a FireFox plugin).
Radically alternative solution: use django and you can literally pass from reading the tutorial to have your app up and running in a matter of hours, inclusive of user authentications, back-end administrative interface etc. (your project is exactly what I did with it to allow my wife to insert expenses in our family budget).
Django is written in Python and you can use SQLite as a back-end.

How complicate can a Django application go?

I'm tasked to create a simple CRUD MVC application, and I thought it's a good opportunity to learn python. Because of its great documentation, I'm thinking now that I'll go with Django.
Now, this simple CRUD MVC application could become quite complicated in the future. I might have receive and issue JMS messages, display charts that are updated periodically (I'm thinking about ajax) and what not.
Given this I'm a little worried, since while I'm told it's easy to call Java code from python (I'm a Java developer), I'm also told that Django is generally best for content based web application, and can be restrictive.
Do you think it is okay to go with Django in this case?
simple CRUD MVC application
Django does this "out of the box" The admin interface is a simple, CRUD, MVC application. You don't do much programming to make this happen. You create the model. That's it. Use the Django admin for your CRUD application. Done.
I might have receive and issue JMS messages, display charts that are updated periodically (I'm thinking about ajax) and what not.
That's the point. Since you didn't waste time writing the CRUD application, you are able to write the other, more interesting stuff.
Look at http://hjb.python-hosting.com/ for a Python-JMS bridge.
We have FLEX front-end and Django-based RESTful web services. The Django apps create PDF's, and other things. The FLEX does pretty pictures and charts.
Django is generally best for content based web application, and can be restrictive.
Doesn't mean anything. Provide a quote or a link to whatever it is you're talking about.
Mozilla is currently rewriting two of our largest sites on Django. These are both fairly complex applications that interact with numerous online and offline services. With Python's large collection of libraries, anything Django doesn't do itself we've usually been able to find, or create pretty easily. For example, we have both cron jobs and on-demand offline tasks, backed by AMQP, which is similar to JMS.
Short answer: you can get pretty darn complicated if that's what you need to do, and odds are there's already a Python project or library to do what you need.

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