Is Jython capable of making a QT application (and is a transition from Python worth it)?

Question

I've built a fairly complicated application with PyQt4 and Python, but it is a pain to send to people (and once I do, they have no idea how to run it). Then there are dependencies to wrestle. Ugh.

Anyways, I just learned about Jython, and since virtually everybody has Java installed, it seems like a perfect solution to my problem of distribution of Python scripts. Has anybody actually developed a functional piece of software with Jython, and if it even exists, one with Jambi bindings?

I'm just asking so that I don't go digging for something which doesn't work.

Thanks!

Answer 1

If you did move this application to Jython, you would have to convert the GUI from QT to Jambi.

Jython is the Python language implemented in Java to run on the Java virtual machine. Because it runs on the JVM, Jython apps can use any Java libraries, such as SWING or Jambi.

It is possible that the differences between PyQT and Jambi are very small, but fundamentally, you would not be using QT directly. Instead you would be using Jambi. And if you use any non-standard Python modules you will still have to resolve packaging issues.

If your application uses other Python modules which are implemented in C, then you would also need to replace those with Java libraries. Jython is great at running a lot of pure Python code unchanged, but Jython runs in a Java environment and there are differences in the way some fundamental objects, such as strings, are implemented. Jython uses Java internals, Java's garbage collector, and so on.

There is more info available via this SO question: Migrating from CPython to Jython