[slug-chat] OT Perl, Python and Windows

[Michael Lake <Mike.Lake@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi guys,

Um is this off topic for chat or not?

Towards the middle of this year I will be implementing updatability for
an web-based caving database. At present it's read only (see
http//www.caves.org.au and click on Karst Inderx Database for a play).
We will have web-based updating of the data but many users want the
ability to edit data off-line with *some* windows application or thingy.

No probs getting CSV or any other text data format out so I'm looking at
using spreadsheets, editing text files, windows databases etc. Now one
idea I had was for users to install Apache and a scripting language onto
their PC's and run cgi scripts. That way the interface they use for
off-line data editing is the same as for on-line editing. Its easy to
upgrade the cgi scripts and lots of people can understand how it works.

The web site uses Perl so I checked out how easy it is for users to
install and setup Apache and Perl on Windows 98. A NO BRAINER ! Wow. If
only Linux was that easy :-) I have some cgi scripts that tae data and
create a HTML form that they can edit and either 'save to local disk'
for further editing or they can 'send to ASF web site' by just clicking
a button.

Here is the crunch. Apache is small but Perl is 30MB ! The Win32 Perl is
from ActiveState.com and even if I dont install any examples or
documentation or modules the size id pretty big to expect users to put
onto their PC's. Python is just 3.5 MB for the runtime and core library.
This would be reasonable but then I and those that have to maintain it
will need to know both Perl and Python; or learn Parrot :-) hehe (see
slashdot 1st April).

Anyone had any exp. with Win32 Perl? Can Perl be cut down to size? (pull
down the Wall?)

Mike
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Michael Lake
University of Technology, Sydney
Email: mailto:Mike.Lake@xxxxxxxxxx Ph: 02 9514 1724 Fx: 02 9514 1628 
URL: http://www.science.uts.edu.au/~michael-lake/
Linux enthusiast, active caver and interested in anything technical.
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