Script/GUI apps on OS2008?
 

I'm a hobbyist programmer and I'm thinking about getting an N800 or N810. One of the key things I'd like to know before purchasing is what the process would be like to develop simple GUI apps, preferably using an interpreted language (scripting) rather than compiled (C, etc).

I've been digging around the forums and it seems like most of the talk along those lines involves Python, GTK, and something called Hildon (all of which are new to me). Is this the generally used route for this sort of development? If so, could anyone point me to a tutorial or guide so I can see what would be involved?

Thanks. :)

Re: Script/GUI apps on OS2008?
 

you should check http://maemo.org/, especially http://maemo.org/development/documen...Start%20Guide/, http://maemo.org/development/documen..._tutorial.html and http://maemo.org/development/documentation/how-tos/4-x/.

For python scripting, there is tutorial for older os2007 http://maemo.org/development/documen...3.x_howto.html.

For simple python application you can check http://maemo.org/downloads/product/OS2008/quicknote (this app runs under standard linux as well, that is grat for testing)

Re: Script/GUI apps on OS2008?
 

It's also possible to develop GUI apps with Ruby.

Re: Script/GUI apps on OS2008?
 

I think that all of the suggestions made so far require you to install scratchbox and have/learn a lot of scratchbox/Hildon/Linux/GTK knowledge.

Is this true?

If so, are there any real alternatives out there?

This is what I have found so far:

There was a project called Eagle that looked promising: http://www.gustavobarbieri.com.br/eagle/ but I don't think it has been made available for OS2008. Anybody know what is happening to Eagle?

Another alternative is to install a local cgi web-server and write your app as a combination of browser-resident Javascript and Python cgi. You could use json-rpc or xml-rpc to communate between the js and python code. This is the approach that I am planning to use unless someone tells me not to bother and gives me a good reason why it won't work. Or gives me a better alternative.

I think that something like the old HyperCard (68K Mac app) would be real nice on a tablet.

Re: Script/GUI apps on OS2008?
 

check out pymaemo (and packages) and PyGTKEditor. That's all you need to do GUI programming right on the device.

Re: Script/GUI apps on OS2008?
 

I haven't tested it yet on IT2008, but Eagle is just a wrapper ontop of GTK. If you have the eagle .py file in the directory of your own scripts it should work on any Maemo python install.

Somebody else was also talking about a port of wxPython to Maemo (also a kind of gtk wrapper, but much more options)

The last time I tested a local webserver was on IT 2007, I believe I had to copy a library of the desktop python install for some dependencies (but there have been a lot of updates since then for Maemo python, so that may not be necessary ). but after that it worked perfectly.

Re: Script/GUI apps on OS2008?
 

I just emailed Gustavo (the developer) and he said that it might need some work to get Eagle going on OS2008. Right now he is busy working on Canola...

Yes, the Maemo folks deleted all of the servers from the Python runtime so that makes sense.