Rewriting AutoIt GUI applications so they are cross-platform

[philw]

Hi,

I have a text editor I created using AutoIt, but I'd like to rewrite it so that it can be compiled for operating systems other than Windows. I was wondering if anyone had done something similar, and if so which programming language they used. What would involve the least amount of work? And could the resulting application be run from a data stick?

Thanks.

Phil

[James]

Java, C or C++ would be your best bets. Mind you, it's not easy to cross platform applications.

[monoceres]

Mind you, it's not easy to cross platform applications.

What part is hard? It's pretty simple.

Python or Java is your best go. Coming from autoit I think you'll like Python the most.

[James]

What part is hard? It's pretty simple.

Python or Java is your best go. Coming from autoit I think you'll like Python the most.

Learning the new language? Although he shouldn't be porting it without prior experience of the language and OS's right?

Python is a nice easy language

[monoceres]

Learning the new language? Although he shouldn't be porting it without prior experience of the language and OS's right?

Learning a new language could be hard, but that's not what I meant. If you're using a platform independent language together will platform independent libraries uoi automatically get cross -platform. The point is that you do not need to have experience with the OS before. Example, making a game in Python and PyGame automatically makes your game available on pretty much any platform you can imagine.

[trancexx]

So philw would want to write the program, compile it and the run from stick on any platform.

How could Java (or similar) be used for that? Could someone explain?

Writing in e.g. Java doesn't mean that automatically you will be able to run your program on any platform. It only means you could run your program on any platform. There is a big (huge) difference. You need VM.

[James]

How could Java (or similar) be used for that? Could someone explain?

I was just listing good cross platform languages.

It's still compatible.

[monoceres]

So philw would want to write the program, compile it and the run from stick on any platform.

How could Java (or similar) be used for that? Could someone explain?

Writing in e.g. Java doesn't mean that automatically you will be able to run your program on any platform. It only means you could run your program on any platform. There is a big (huge) difference. You need VM.

Java and Python (for example) does not compile into machine code. They compile into byte code that runs within the Java/Python VM. Therefore if you write your code in Java/Python you can ship a single file to all platforms and it will work the same on all.

Of course this implies that Java/Python is available on specific platform but that's not your problem.

[philw]

Thanks very much for the advice. I'm actually using Ubuntu now - hence the need for a cross-platform version (running under Wine doesn't quite work) - and Python is already installed. Just out of interest, if a program is written in Python, can it be compiled for Windows into a double-clickable .exe file?

[monoceres]

Just out of interest, if a program is written in Python, can it be compiled for Windows into a double-clickable .exe file?

Yes.

[James]

Thanks very much for the advice. I'm actually using Ubuntu now - hence the need for a cross-platform version (running under Wine doesn't quite work) - and Python is already installed. Just out of interest, if a program is written in Python, can it be compiled for Windows into a double-clickable .exe file?

How do I make my python scripts executable Edited January 8, 2010 by JamesBrooks

[trancexx]

Java and Python (for example) does not compile into machine code. They compile into byte code that runs within the Java/Python VM. Therefore if you write your code in Java/Python you can ship a single file to all platforms and it will work the same on all.

Of course this implies that Java/Python is available on specific platform but that's not your problem.

Where do you see C# compared to Java in 10 years?

[monoceres]

Where do you see C# compared to Java in 10 years?

About the same. Microsoft will never spend time on releasing stuff for competing platforms and the open source implementations will never be better than the existing solutions (java, python etc.).

[trancexx]

About the same. Microsoft will never spend time on releasing stuff for competing platforms and the open source implementations will never be better than the existing solutions (java, python etc.).

There is one new player coming to scene that will eventually cause lots of changes. Mark my words.

[James]

There is one new player coming to scene that will eventually cause lots of changes. Mark my words.

Is someone in on it?

Does C3 mean anything to you?

Edited January 8, 2010 by JamesBrooks

[trancexx]

Is someone in on it?

Does C3 mean anything to you?

A car?

I'm talking about abstractions, clouds, adaptation...

[monoceres]

A car?

I'm talking about abstractions, clouds, adaptation...

Aah. I'm not totally convinced that everything belong in the sky just yet. Maybe they can win me over.

[James]

A car?

Oh, you so funny

Would be interesting to see how they progress into a language.

[trancexx]

Aah. I'm not totally convinced that everything belong in the sky just yet. Maybe they can win me over.

Oh you will adopt. But the beauty about programmers like you is that you will always have C3 on return. Other will just return with no understanding on how it's done.

@JamesBrooks, of course.

[James]

Oh you will adopt. But the beauty about programmers like you is that you will always have C3 on return. Other will just return with no understanding on how it's done.

Ok that whole thing is annoying. Read it C3wife.com