[PyKDE] PyQt versus Java?

[John Mudd]

Thanks!  I just built Qt (easy!) and ran the demos (impressive).  So
now I just have to get the PyQt running and I'll have a Python (easy,
powerful, portable) with a GUI (easy, powerful, portable (between X and
Windows)).  That's quite a combo, right?

How does this combo compare with JAVA?  The Java Virtual Machine 
provides portability.  It has GUI stuff.  The language Java is not
Python but maybe still better than C++.  These two strike me as two
slightly different approaches to the same problem.  I lean towards PyQt
because Sun (who supposedly are experts at Java Virtual Machine, code
in general and porting code but don't have a highly portable Virtal
Machine.) seems not much better than MS.  But... how can I convince my
brother and sister coders who are just now falling for Java and laugh
at me for suggesting Python?  Or are they right?


--- Boudewijn Rempt <boud at rempt.xs4all.nl> wrote:
> On Sat, 20 Nov 1999, John Mudd wrote:
> 
> > I also hear mostly about people using KDE.  And KDE is something
> like a
> > replacement for Motif and competition for other full blown
> windowing
> > systems (e.g. MS Windows), right?  KDE apps are better that just
> GUI
> > versions of programs because they share an environment and so
> > comunicate and share objects well, right?
> > 
> 
> Well, technically, you can compare Qt with Motif, and KDE with CDE.
> Qt and Motif provide the widgets, i.e. the buttons and listboxes, and
> basic application frameworkds. KDE and CDE provide a desktop - a nice
> application launching panel, pretty icons on the desktop, a generic
> system to restart applications after a system shutdown and a lot
> more.
> 
> > Can I avoid KDE and just use Qt if (1) I don't run KDE on my UNIX
> > machines and (2) therefore have no other KDE apps to communicate
> with? 
> > I'm currently not interested in sharing object with spreadsheets,
> etc. 
> > I just want to get something up and running fast.
> > 
> 
> KDE isn't so much about sharing objects across applications (at the
> moment, we'll see what the future brings), as about integrating with
> the desktop in matters like colour settings, language settings,
> session
> management. So, yes, if you don't run KDE as your desktop (but plain
> X
> with fvwm instead, for instance), you can just as well use PyQt. You
> get
> the added bonus of relatively easy porting to Windows. An application
> that
> uses PyKDE will never be able to run under Windows, while you could
> try
> to recompile PyQt for Windows if you have the (expensive) Qt for
> Windows
> library. From what you describe, using just Qt is an excellent
> option.
> On the other hand, the KDE html widget is worth its weight in gold -
> and
> that's something Qt doesn't provide. 
> 
> > Does Qt (and therefore KDE) run on top of X or does is it a
> replacement
> > for X?
> 
> Qt applications are quite normal X application, so X must be running
> (the only thing is, they aren't Xt apps, so don't recognize the X
> resources, but that's a technicality that probably doesn't matter 
> to you). Same goes for KDE. There has been a non-X windowing 
> system for Unix, mgr or something like that, but it was strictly 
> monochrome and decidedly primitive. And Berlin isn't ready for
> anything, yet. So you can safely assume that almost everything
> graphical for Linux runs over X.
> 
> Boudewijn Rempt  | http://denden.conlang.org
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> PyKDE mailing list    PyKDE at mats.gmd.de
> http://mats.gmd.de/mailman/listinfo/pykde
> 

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com