From: ferradajj at ornl.gov (Juan Ferrada)
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 13:41:59 -0400
Subject: graphics using Python 1.2 in DOS
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19990430134156.006fe674@tin2.cad.ornl.gov>
Content-Length: 2697
X-UID: 745                                                  

At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, we developed a chemical process
simulation program using C++ that works in a DOS environment.  It is a
graphic interface and process diagrams are created by putting different
icons that are dragged and dropped in the screen.  It has worked very
nicely for us for the last four years.  Four years ago, we were after a
scripting language that could simplify the model writing.  Each icon (that
represents a specif engineering process) can be model using an executable
in any language. For example, we use executables written in Fortran,
Pascal, Prolog, C, C++ etc and our program launches those executable when
they are needed.  By using an scripting language the modeling would be
simplified.  In fact, 4 years ago we downloaded the current version of
Python and we integrate it with our code and produce the executable of our
application.  We called it FLOW.  It has been very successful.  Many
students that do their internship with us have learned the basic principles
of Python and some of the classes and objects that we created for our own
purpose.  After just two weeks of tutorials they are capable of producing
their models and run them with the rest of the application.

The only problem we have is that when we go from the FLOW graphic interface
and want to interact with the user and ask them some question, for example
what is the input pressure of your bomb? or what is the diameter of your
tank? we go to the traditional black screen of the DOS environment.  We
would like to improve this by putting, for example, the figure of a pump
and show the user the question directly on the graphic.

We believe that we could use a graphic library like the one you developed
and being able to develop the graphics we want.  Is it possible to use your
library in the DOS environment?  So when we invoke the library, as we do
with other libraries that we have developed earlier(from ourlyb import * at
the beginning of the program), we can get the desired effects.

We downloaded the Python version 1.2, April 1995 and we compiled with our
C++ code.  We are looking for a library that works with that version so we
can invoke the library by simply writing:
		from graphiclibrary import *,
so we don't have to recompiled everything again.

Do you think this is possible and if it is how can we get to that library
and where we need to put it to make it work.  We currently put everything
writting in Python in a directory like this:
		C:\flow\python
and every fiel *.py goes there including the libraries.

I would really appreciate your help.  I have a couple of students working
with me that really need this feature.

thank you very much

Juan J. Ferrada




