[PyKDE] QString in PyQt4 - Request for Comments

[Patrick K. O'Brien]

Phil Thompson wrote:
> 
> I'm totally unsympathetic to the idea of a *separate* Pythonic API to Qt.
> The Python GUI toolkit "market" is fragmented enough as it is - this would
> only add more confusion for (relatively) little benefit.

I agree with you, Phil.  If you look at wxPython you'll see that there
have been a number of attempts to add a more Pythonic layer over
wxPython, none of which have really succeeded in any significant way.  I
think its unrealistic to think that a separate API could be created on
top of PyQt that would actually gain enough support from the community
to be something that large numbers of developers would be willing to
take a chance on.  Nobody wants to invest in an API that might not have
a future.  I know I feel that way.

> People come to PyQt either as existing Python programmers looking for a
> decent toolkit, or Qt/KDE programmers looking for a decent programming
> language. I think the former is a larger group than the latter and this
> difference will only become more pronounced with the Windows GPL version.

Again, I agree.  And while I'm sympathetic to the C++ programmers who
would like to see the same API when they work in Python, I'm more
sympathetic to the Python programmers who find C++ to be strange,
incomprehensible, or simply painful.  I think serious C++ programmers
would have a smaller conceptual burden if they had to switch to a more
Pythonic API when they work in Python, than if Python programmers had to
know a bit about C++ when they work with PyQt.  Again, the same thing
happens in wxPython - the vast majority of Python programmers have no
desire whatsoever to have to deal with concepts from C++.

> I'm completely open to making the existing API more Pythonic - this is the
> time to do it. For example, I did casually float the idea of not using C++
> types in signal signatures in a previous post - but nobody bit.

I guess I wasn't on the list then, so I'll bite now.  Even though I do
know enough C++ to be dangerous, I'm much happier when I can live within
the safe, dry, warm confines of Python.  :-)

-- 
Patrick K. O'Brien
Orbtech       http://www.orbtech.com
Schevo        http://www.schevo.org
Pypersyst     http://www.pypersyst.org
PyDispatcher  http://pydispatcher.sourceforge.net