I need some help writing a simple graphical app

[Void Main]

This should be *very* simple for someone that knows what they are doing. I currently have something started in pygtk that has roughly the look I want. Problem is I have never programmed in Python and haven't done much with GTK either so I am a complete novice at what I am attempting to do.

Ok, first off let me tell you what I am trying to do. I have this large LED display (5 inch high numbers) that we are using to record elapsed time with starting line and finish line sensors. When I get my cable I will be able to capture these times off of the serial port (Chronomix format). I eventually want to write a database app that will record these times automatically into the appropriate record but for now I just want to get something extremely basic set up.

For now I just want a simple display of times as they come in with the most recent time going to the top of the list. I also want to record these times to a file but that part will be easy. Here's a screenshot of what I am after from the program I have so far:



Here's the script:

http://voidmain.is-a-geek.net/files/scr ... ed_time.py

Notice the times are just hard coded. What I would like is the equivalent of a "tail -f filename" inside the program and as numbers are read the display is updated. Latest time on top pushing the older times down. I haven't been able to figure out how to set up a loop that will wait on input and then update the times when input is received.

Thanks for any help!

P.S. I am using an LCD font that I got from here:
http://www.spinwardstars.com/scrfonts/lcd.html
The font isn't needed to make the program work though.

[ZiaTioN]

[Void Main]

Thanks. I thought about using PerlTk but was hoping to use this exercise to learn something about Python and a little more about GTK. I've tried to sit down and learn Python in the past but it's just so much different that I don't know if I really WANT to learn it. I am certainly much better with Perl and I have even written a few PerlTk apps in the past but I do very very little GUI programming.

Having said that I am rusty at best with the Tk part of it. In the PyGTK program I used a text buffer with scrollbars rather than a label. My thought was I could just keep inserting text and be able to look back on previous times by scrolling down, not that the times by themselves would mean anything beyond 2 or 3 from the latest. In your example when the times update the window disappears and then reappears. I wonder if there is a way to smoothly scroll the text down without the window disappearing? I'll play with your PerlTk start and see what I can come up with. I know I'll make better headway than I will with Python because I am already proficient with Perl which will make things go a lot faster on the database backend.

Thanks again!

P.S. I also notice that in PerlTk the edges on the LCD font I am using aren't nearly as smooth as they are in PyGTK. I am using pango in PyGTK. I wonder if there are any Tk options to make the font look nicer? This is the font param I am using now: "-font=>['lcd', 150, 'bold']"

[worker201]

What is this for, anyway? You trying to set something up for a race? Like a Pinewood Derby? Helping the kids?

[ZiaTioN]

[Void Main]

[Void Main]

[Void Main]

[Void Main]

[Void Main]

[ZiaTioN]

[Void Main]

[ZiaTioN]

No problem.

Sounds like what you want is very possible. I would be happy to help with any of the perl programming you need. I am very familiar with Tk GUI creation, database programming and web scripting. Also socket programming, threaded models, etc, etc, etc... Pretty much anything you can do with perl I am familiar with.

Let me know if you run into any specific issues or need any help with any of it.

Also remember the "" web application I wrote for you a while back. That would be a good reference for you for your database portion.

[Void Main]

I actually do Perl and PHP database and web programming all day every day at work which is why I have to motivate myself to do things like this. I just don't feel like doing it at night. I guess the motivation is that it is something for me rather than for someone else.

[ZiaTioN]

So how about that final application? I did not put this much time into helping you just to get stiffed on seeing the final product! LOL....

Just kidding, but seriously have you finished it yet?