April 17, 2008

Learning IronPython

Some good advice from Curt Hagenlocher on the IronPython mailing list in response to this question:
I program in Python, but my programs are typically run from the command line or IDLE. I have never built a GUI, and would like to try my hand at creating GUIs that I can run my programs from. Is there a book or tutorial that covers IronPython, IronPython Studio and the dot Net platform that is aimed squarely at the new user?
Any book or tutorial about the .NET platform in general will be relevant to IronPython's use of .NET. In fact, taking existing C# or VB examples and translating them into Python may be a good way to leverage your existing Python skills while teaching yourself the .NET class libraries.

As far as IronPython-specific resources go, you can't beat the IronPython Cookbook at http://www.ironpython.info/index.php/Main_Page. If you want to see some sample Python code that uses the Windows Forms or Windows Presentation Foundation libraries to produce a GUI, just go to the Contents at http://www.ironpython.info/index.php/Contents and scroll down a bit.

It's fashionable to pooh-pooh .NET, but remember that this stuff runs on Mono too, so it could be an important way to build cross-platform compatibility in Python applications. Not everything that came out of Redmond is worth ignoring (but let's not talk about OOXML), so there's possibly something to be gained from a knowledge of that framework. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

No comments: