Hi Rick,
Yes, Python has some really nice stuff to use; my games were written in
Python.
You can make executable, portable apps using Python besides getting almost
complete access to the operating system commands. The disadvantage is display
of stuff on the screen.
The problem with Python is events when displaying stuff on the screen. The
WE screen reader will not read the display in most cases. There are some ways
of getting around it it but it is a disadvantage.
Python does not use the end command for loops and such, which is a little
getting use to, for you have to keep track of your indentations. But having
indentation instead of end or next commands, it makes for easier reading for
sighted people, for you know where it ends based on how it looks on the screen.
The Audio kit uses Python and there are some errors because of pass through
items, missing parameters to call functions and such.
The Python at least gives you more stuff such as memory allocation and
mapping for someone has gone out of there way to write a module to do those
things. It is free and everyone contributes to Python modules to use and keep
for when needed on a project...
My Battleship game does not use any display, so the keyboard events are
easy to use and make for nice option lists and choice making.
The Trek game uses the standard way of getting keyboard keys and displaying
them, but don't get keyboard events to allow display of the grids on the screen
as a choice, just in case a sighted person wants to play the game.
I had a request 2 years ago about that and told them what hotkeys to use to
turn on the display feature.
Both games are portable to any Windows computer since there executable,
compiled programs. You just have to make sure you also copy over the data
folder which has all the sound files in it.
In order to get the keyboard events you have to install the PyGame module,
which means what it says, Python Game playing.
PyInstaller is the module to use if you want to compile your Python app as
a portable app for any Windows computer.
A man from Australia wrote all the hooks to getting into the com objects
and like all other modules you have to install them. Everything is based on
what version of Python you have, so that is the other thing to learn to do when
learning Python, pay attention to the version of Python when installing Python
modules.
Use of dictionaries is much easier and more flexible. Along with parsing of
data and such, but it is a new syntax to learn when using them.
It is all free, just download Python and starting using the tutorials which
are easy to find and use, and also free.
Bruce
Sent: Friday, September 12, 2014 8:11 AM
Subject: RE: VBScript Alternatives
HiGuys:
There are advantages and disadvantages to using the .net platform and thus
something lke the free Visual Studio module platforms for creating generic
scripts.
I don't know much, actually anything, about Power Shell.
Of course WE now supports JavaScript under the current script manager model
so that may be an option but I don't know how good JavaScript is for
building apps as stand-alone modules.
Python is a popular scripting language and I think might offer another
avenue for consideration - not sure.
A screen reader has to consider performance options all be it todays
computers are getting pretty bloody fast for executing local code blocks.
While something like vb.net or c++ from the managed environment is a choice
I'm not sure about whether non framework communications via com api objects
for working, scripting, would pose any noticible impact on performance when
working over a non-framework, standard API, like for Thunderbird or other
such platforms.
I would guess it is the same as if working outside the .net framework and
trying to access programs running under the Microsoft framework like
Internet Explorer or Outlook.
Again, I'm not sure this would be a factor since todays computers are
getting very fast and have multi-processors as well as the fact once
compiled the MS code base would run faster than vbscript or javascript as
they are inturpeted.
I am not sure about other languages like Power Shell or Python or some
others.
If I remember another reader uses c++ for some high performance modules and
Python for the UI stuff but only heard a blurb from another programmer about
that.
You can code c++ in Visual Studio or the free versions and the UI is
superior to any other project management packages but, again, I'm not sure
about actual performance comparisons between a managed script and a
non-managed code script.
When I created a External vb.net script it ran with instant response using
the existing WE COM interface so my guess is that compared to using vbscript
the .net platform would be as fast or, perhaps, much faster as a scripting
tool.
That doesn't mean the underlying WE modules and models would use it
necessarily - they may elect tostick with native c++ unless they convert to
using a managed code base, perhaps c++ in the .net environment - don't know
all the technical details.
Anyway, I am sure they have a plan and, for me, it doesn't matter which way
they are headed but I would like to have a heads up about the direction to
scout out the road ahead.
Rick USA
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