[Twisted-Python] [Fwd: Re: Twisted docs (was Re: Python IPC options)]

Itamar Shtull-Trauring twisted at itamarst.org
Mon Sep 2 09:00:16 MDT 2002


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Twisted docs (was Re: Python IPC options)
Date: 2 Sep 2002 02:51:06 -0700
From: hwlgw at hotmail.com (Will Stuyvesant)
Organization: http://groups.google.com/
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
References: <1030829572.943495 at irys.nyx.net> 
<3D715160.2020109 at itamarst.org_NOSPAM> 
<cb035744.0209011308.7b4b3ae2 at posting.google.com> 
<3D728386.2060908 at itamarst.org_NOSPAM>

Itamar Shtull-Trauring <itamar at itamarst.org_NOSPAM> wrote:

 > I take it you're going to volunteer some time to write
 > docs? We'd really appreciate it! ;)

Okay I will try, but my TODO list is already very long.  So it will be
a weekend thingy and could take a while to produce something useful,
besides I will have to learn Twisted first!

What I propose is to show how to develop a medium sized application in
the Twisted framework that uses a lot of Twisted's capabilities.  It
should have asynchronous *and* synchronous communication, *mobile*
components and because of that a dynamic network.  It should also show
how to exchange data with a server / database via its URL on the
internet.  Also to be fun it needs a GUI so I will use Tkinter, I
believe there are examples already how to combine Twisted with
Tkinter.  Tkinter seems to be the best choice since it is one of
Python's included batteries and it is portable and I have some
experience with it.

Now what kind of application would that be?  My idea for the
application is a trader agent and its environment.  It could be
something like a simulation or a game where you have to program an
automated trader agent that buys and sells stocks for you.  The client
should also have an interactive mode so you can do things manually
too.  There is a central market / database / server online all the
time.
First I need to set up a website that simulates a stock market, or
maybe I can just use an existing one, have to see how stable the data
are they produce.  www.nyse.com?

Does this kind of application show enough of Twisted's features?  You
have more ideas?   Do you think some things are too hard or
impossible?


Demonstrated features
---------------------

* Asynchronous communication:    Updates from the market to the client
                                  (if it is online) in a
                                  send_and_forget fashion.

* Synchronous communication:     Buying and selling transactions

* Mobility:                      The clients should be able to connect
                                  from anywhere and it should maybe be
                                  possible to relocate the market.

* Dynamicity:                    See mobility.  Also there will be an
                                  unknown number of clients at any
                                  time.

* RPC:                           client <-> market, but maybe also
                                  perhaps client <-> client for forming
                                  trade groups?

* GUI integration                To show what a client does and to be
                                  able to do manual trading.

* Remote debugging?  Remote market profiling?  Market logging?

Have to go back to my real work now.  What surprises me is that the
Twisted people did not come up with a demo apllication like this
already, the more I think about it the more fun it seems.  I did see a
MUD-something-application mentioned on the Twisted site, but could not
find it.  The trader application looks a bit more ``serious'' perhaps,
better for public relations?  Also make absolutely sure people using
Windows can install everything they need with just doubleclicking an
.exe or whatever.  You can do it, Twisted already has that for the
modules.

Writing software for installing things and writing documentation is
generally considered *boring* and uncool work among programmers.  I
know.  Hope this helps inspiring you to do it and to look at it in
another way?

For now good luck with writing good docs about things I do not know
about yet: Twisted deserves it.  So one day it can become one of
Python's included batteries too!

::

A child of five could understand this!  Fetch me a child of five.

-- 
Itamar Shtull-Trauring    http://itamarst.org/
Available for Python, Twisted, Zope and Java consulting





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