Advise needed: PHP without webserver + interface to (X)windows

[Erwin Moller]

Hi Group,

I am starting on some project and need to program all kinds of windows with
buttons/textfields/etc.
My natural reaction was to build this in Java, but since I like PHP so much
I thought about giving it a try in PHP.
My problem: I only used PHP inside a webserver untill now, and I have
experience with some simple scripts I build for cronjobs in PHP
(commandline/cli invocation).

My requirements are:
- a memoryhungry continuous proces that could last for days.
- Need windows and all kind of gadgets like buttons/textareas/etc.
- Must run under W$ and *nix. (Additional software installs are no problem)
I was thinking to invoke PHP from commandline without a timeout, overruling
php.ini.
For windowsprogramm ing I found activestate/tcl, but I have 0 experience with
it.

Is this the right way to go?
Is TCL easy to learn and use?

What other options do I have?
Does anybody have any ideas/suggestions?
Any pittfalls on the road ahead?
Should I just stick to Java?

Thanks for your time.

Regards,
Erwin Moller

[d]

"Erwin Moller"
<si************ *************** *************** @spamyourself.c om> wrote in
message news:43******** *************** @news.xs4all.nl ...

Hi Group,

I am starting on some project and need to program all kinds of windows
with
buttons/textfields/etc.
My natural reaction was to build this in Java, but since I like PHP so
much
I thought about giving it a try in PHP.
My problem: I only used PHP inside a webserver untill now, and I have
experience with some simple scripts I build for cronjobs in PHP
(commandline/cli invocation).

My requirements are:
- a memoryhungry continuous proces that could last for days.
- Need windows and all kind of gadgets like buttons/textareas/etc.
- Must run under W$ and *nix. (Additional software installs are no
problem)
I was thinking to invoke PHP from commandline without a timeout,
overruling
php.ini.
For windowsprogramm ing I found activestate/tcl, but I have 0 experience
with
it.

Is this the right way to go?
Is TCL easy to learn and use?

What other options do I have?
Does anybody have any ideas/suggestions?
Any pittfalls on the road ahead?
Should I just stick to Java?

Thanks for your time.
http://gtk.php.net/

:)

Give that a go, and if it's not good enough, use Java.
Regards,
Erwin Moller

hope that helps!

dave

[Sjoerd]

Erwin Moller wrote:

I was thinking to invoke PHP from commandline without a timeout, overruling
php.ini.

Take a look at this:
http://www.php.net/manual/en/features.commandline.php

PHP-cli has no timeout by default. A PHP can be run in Unix by
prefixing it with #!/usr/bin/php.

[d]

"Sjoerd" <sj******@gmail .com> wrote in message
news:11******** *************@o 13g2000cwo.goog legroups.com...

Erwin Moller wrote:

I was thinking to invoke PHP from commandline without a timeout,
overruling
php.ini.

Take a look at this:
http://www.php.net/manual/en/features.commandline.php

PHP-cli has no timeout by default. A PHP can be run in Unix by
prefixing it with #!/usr/bin/php.

You can do the same in Windows, if you associate .php (or, say, .xphp) files
with a batch file that calls the PHP interpreter and passes the filename of
the script. This will allow you to run .php/.xphp scripts like they are
..bat files.

dave

[Jerry Stuckle]

Erwin Moller wrote:

Hi Group,

I am starting on some project and need to program all kinds of windows with
buttons/textfields/etc.
My natural reaction was to build this in Java, but since I like PHP so much
I thought about giving it a try in PHP.
My problem: I only used PHP inside a webserver untill now, and I have
experience with some simple scripts I build for cronjobs in PHP
(commandline/cli invocation).

My requirements are:
- a memoryhungry continuous proces that could last for days.
- Need windows and all kind of gadgets like buttons/textareas/etc.
- Must run under W$ and *nix. (Additional software installs are no problem)
I was thinking to invoke PHP from commandline without a timeout, overruling
php.ini.
For windowsprogramm ing I found activestate/tcl, but I have 0 experience with
it.

Is this the right way to go?
Is TCL easy to learn and use?

What other options do I have?
Does anybody have any ideas/suggestions?
Any pittfalls on the road ahead?
Should I just stick to Java?

Thanks for your time.

Regards,
Erwin Moller

Erwin,

As much as I love PHP, I think I'd do this one in Java (or C++).

PHP has some add-on libraries which get you various gadgets, but I think
Java is more mature in this area.

--
=============== ===
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
js*******@attgl obal.net
=============== ===

[Erwin Moller]

Thanks all for your input.

My impression of PHP/GTK is that it is not 100% evolved yet.

I think I'll stick to Java for this one.

Thanks all.

Regards,
Erwin Moller

[Jim Michaels]

"Erwin Moller"
<si************ *************** *************** @spamyourself.c om> wrote in
message news:43******** *************** @news.xs4all.nl ...

Hi Group,

I am starting on some project and need to program all kinds of windows
with
buttons/textfields/etc.
My natural reaction was to build this in Java, but since I like PHP so
much
I thought about giving it a try in PHP.
My problem: I only used PHP inside a webserver untill now, and I have
experience with some simple scripts I build for cronjobs in PHP
(commandline/cli invocation).

My requirements are:
- a memoryhungry continuous proces that could last for days.
- Need windows and all kind of gadgets like buttons/textareas/etc.
- Must run under W$ and *nix. (Additional software installs are no
problem)
I was thinking to invoke PHP from commandline without a timeout,
overruling
php.ini.
For windowsprogramm ing I found activestate/tcl, but I have 0 experience
with
it.

Is this the right way to go?
Is TCL easy to learn and use?
Tcl has its own learning curve. expressions are a bit difficult. all those
square brackets and odd substituion situations with variables.
You can make a complete working dialog in Tcl/Tk with 1 page of code. It's
available for UNIX and was made mainly for X. to make a button,

button .b -text "press me" -command {do something }
pack .b

and after pack, a button pops into the window. "pack .b -side left" does
what you think it does.

it can be difficult to get your gui right. there are different layout
managers, like pack, grid, and a few others I think. Pack doesn't always
act like you want it to, so you have to test & debug a lot.
for OOP, go incr-Tcl. it's considered a built-in lib now. then your stuff
can be entirely event-driven.

Tcl/Tk excels at making GUIs for command-line tools. it has sockets, and can
interface with databases.
PHP is better probably at handling dates, unless something changed I don't
know about.
If you are going to do anything serious with it, get a book. At the time, I
think it was a black book by welch, but that was years ago.

since you know PHP, maybe GTK is a best fit. Or maybe it's Tcl/Tk. I
dunno. I've used both, depending on what I'm doing. I've even used Perl/Tk
and made an FTP GUI, but that was a bit too hard (no docs).


What other options do I have?
Does anybody have any ideas/suggestions?
Any pittfalls on the road ahead?
Should I just stick to Java?

Thanks for your time.

Regards,
Erwin Moller

[Jim Michaels]

"Jerry Stuckle" <js*******@attg lobal.net> wrote in message
news:re******** *************** *******@comcast .com...

Erwin Moller wrote:

Hi Group,

I am starting on some project and need to program all kinds of windows
with buttons/textfields/etc.
My natural reaction was to build this in Java, but since I like PHP so
much I thought about giving it a try in PHP.
My problem: I only used PHP inside a webserver untill now, and I have
experience with some simple scripts I build for cronjobs in PHP
(commandline/cli invocation).

My requirements are:
- a memoryhungry continuous proces that could last for days.
- Need windows and all kind of gadgets like buttons/textareas/etc.
- Must run under W$ and *nix. (Additional software installs are no
problem)
I suggest to you Java or Tcl/Tk. Tcl/Tk has very light overhead and has all
kinds of gadgets. install it if it isn't already on your box and look at
their demos to see the widgets.
Tcl/Tk has a learning curve to it. expect at least 3 full-time months with a
good book to get good at it.

If you already know Java and its widgets, maybe it would be a good idea to
stick with it.



I was thinking to invoke PHP from commandline without a timeout,
overruling php.ini.
For windowsprogramm ing I found activestate/tcl, but I have 0 experience
with it.

Is this the right way to go?
Is TCL easy to learn and use?

What other options do I have?
Does anybody have any ideas/suggestions?
Any pittfalls on the road ahead?
Should I just stick to Java?

Thanks for your time.

Regards,
Erwin Moller

Erwin,

As much as I love PHP, I think I'd do this one in Java (or C++).

PHP has some add-on libraries which get you various gadgets, but I think
Java is more mature in this area.

--
=============== ===
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
js*******@attgl obal.net
=============== ===