Nate and others, Thanks for all your comments, they are most welcome. Nate, the card reader acts like a keyboard wedge so I can assume that the data will be coming from the keyboard - so no problems there.
Being used to the Komodo IDE I'll kick off with that to start with and see how it goes. I think initially then I'll set up a MySQL database to store the data in and use that for development. If I can find an equivalent way of plugging in a VFP replacement, then I'll do that retrospectively once I am more comfortable with Python and Dabo . I don't want to start with too many unknowns at day one I guess. In view of your comments I'll start with the class designer then and see what I can glean from that and then try and get used to hand coding again after years of visual development. Not to worry though as I'm sure that as more people get on board the visual IDE will get developed more and more as people contribute to the framework. I don't mind progress being slow and I have a golden rule that you learn about anything best by making mistakes first - unless it's skydiving of course! Ah well, to work. Thanks to all once again for their informative comments and I expect to be back in contact VERY soon! Regards Dave Crozier -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Nate Lowrie Sent: 11 December 2007 16:17 To: Dabo Users list Subject: Re: [dabo-users] Dabo lift-off or crash and burn! On Dec 11, 2007 4:24 AM, Dave Crozier <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > To All, > OK, the time has come to get into Dabo with avengeance - so here I am. I > guess I'll really bug you all in the near future with the regular stupid > newbie questions etc. regarding Dabo - so for that I apologise in advance. > <BG> Ask away...I have done over a dozen Dabo apps so far and I still ask questions all the time...The only stupid question is a question not asked. And with the way the documentation is at the moment, it is hard for me to say RTFM as a response for most questions...The list is responsive and we will try to help you out as best we can. > > I have a project here at work which would seem to be ripe for use with Dabo > as a first introduction, even though I have tracked the Dabo project from > day 1 - as Ed and Paul will know. What I have always needed is an opening to > get into the product as well as some spare time, both of which are now > available. > > The application to generate is a Timeclock system which is currently written > in VFP using native VFP 9 tables (no autoinc fields or anything special that > isn't VFP7 compatible in terms of table structures)) and a screenshot of the > front end of the application is on my website: > > www.replacement-software.co.uk/Dabo/timeclock_main_screen.png Looks simple enough... > 1. Obviously my first question to ask is where isit best to start, but > before I start I'll explain the setup here. > > 2. Development system is Windows XP with Komodo IDE which seems to work > really well with Python as I'm used to it for PHP development even though I > do have a copy of the Wing IDE available - any comments as to the > benefits/drawbacks of each when it comes to Python would be welcome. I come from a largely Linux background as far as development is concerned. Therefore, I like a modular distributed development environment instead of a monolithic IDE. I use a Programmer's editor that I wrote in Dabo. No debug or anything like that. It is meant to be lightweight and an editor only...Normally I'll have at least 3 shell sessions going, 1 for svn, 1 with a python interpreter, and 1 for running the code I am writing. I often have a 4th open to run the test code I create. In addition, I have put together scripts over the years to automate repetitive tasks. I have found debugging to be pretty simple, so it is normally just a smattering of print statements and use of the dShell (this is invaluable...). This is probably not the answer you are looking for. Coming from VFP, I suspect you'll want something similar. Wing is what John and Larry use and they love it. It's ok in my opinion (feels a tad bit bloated). > > 3. I have loaded the full Dabo system with SVN as well as Tortoise and can > run all the demos and application builders no problems. I have also looked > at the Wiki and taken in as much as I can without getting into some code > cutting. > > 4. Would it be better to start with the Application Wizard Generated code > and work backwards to what I want or start with a blank page and simply cut > code from scratch using the calls into Dabo? Bear in mind that I've been > used to VFP as an integrated Visual IDE for - well let's say it is probably > far too long! DO NOT start with the AppWizard...Too confusing. Were you planning on using the Class Designer? Me personally, I hand code everything. It is easier and faster for me to do it that way, but coming from a WxPython background it was what I was used to and do well. > > 5. Has anyone successfully managed to access VFP data (read and write) using > anything other than the PHP ADODB software I'll let the db folks comment on this one... > > http://phplens.com/lens/adodb/adodb-py-docs.htm > > in addition to the mxODBC software > > http://www.egenix.com/products/python/mxODBC/ > > which is a obviously a commercial package. If so, then how, and what are the > potential problems. Initially I want to use VFP tables even though I am > going to migrate the application to a full client/server setup, which brings > me to my next point regarding MsSQL. > > 6. In the Application wizard I have tried to use the MsSQL connection in > order to connect to MsSQLExpress (latest version) but had no joy. What is > the status of this feature and plans to implement - if not present already, > or am I doing something completely wrong here? > > 7. I have read John F's recent post/intro to creating a Dabo Demo using Biz > Obj's which was quite useful and hopefully by starting on this project I can > supplement the "beginners guide" with my experiences for the benefit of all > concerned. Good. We are sorely lacking in this area... > > 8. Most of Python I am happy with so not many problems with the language > here even though I still find it difficult to get into the Python mentality > when "string slicing" where I always have to take a second look before I > plumb in the parameters, but it will come to be second nature I'm sure. Good. Being comfortable and adept at writing Python will ease many of your burdens. Don't worry about having to look stuff up. I keep an open page on the Python docs all the time because I forget parameter order or function name. The goal is not to memorize everything but know where to look it up.. > > 9. Finally, my initial attempt is to generate the Dabo equivalent of the > Timeclock application simply as a client, allowing the entry of an employee > number from the keyboard (connected to a card reader) and populating the > grid (see screen shot) with the date/time that the employee clocks in or out > as well as colouring the grid entry red if clocked out and green if clocked > in. In addition, the employee picture is shown on the screen (before anyone > else says it, the ugly one in the screen shot is me <BG>). The second phase > is then to produce the reports and the final phase to convert the VFP > employee admin program into Dabo - but first things first and slowly but > surely I guess. Doesn't sound look too complicated and should be an easy first program. Are you reading from the card reader? Do you have a Python driver for it if you do? All in all, I would say that this program should be less than 1000 lines of code.. Remember though that this is your first Dabo app and things will be slow at first. However, once you get the first one done everything else starts coming together really quickly... Hope this helps. Cheers, Nate L. [excessive quoting removed by server] _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: [email protected] Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/dabo-users Searchable Archives: http://leafe.com/archives/search/dabo-users This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/dabo-users/[EMAIL PROTECTED]
