AUR3 [aur-pyjs] implementation in python (pyjs) + JSON-RPC

Question

Welcome to AUR3.
available (pre-alpha)...
http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=38359
QUICKSTART
1) install
     # http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=38359
2) run
     # /usr/lib/aur-pyjs-git/aur serve -f
3) view
     # http://127.0.0.1:8000/Aur.html
INTRODUCTION
This is a reimplementation of the AUR using a widget toolkit known as Pyjamas (http://pyjs.org).  Client-side code (to run in web browsers) is written and maintained in python; when deploying to production, the python sources are compiled/translated to 100% pure javascript.  The resulting javascript code can be ran on any major browser.  When deployed, this is a 100% pure javascript application... thus, javascript is required, else you will see only a blank page.
WHY PYJS?
1) anyone that knows python can write clean, maintainable client-side code
2) eliminates the need to know the umpteen inconsistencies amongst browsers
3) via pyjamas-desktop, the app runs as 100% pure python, as a true desktop app, with no modifications
4) back-ends are JSON-RPC; allows back-ends to be written in any language, and enforces a clean separation
PROJECT STATUS
1) FRAMEWORK
     [complete] basic URL dispatcher
     [complete] load new content pages with cache support
     [new] create generic URL-to-module dispatcher (like cherrypy/etc.)
2) SHELL
     [complete] pixel perfect to other sections of the site
     [complete] links/titles/copyright in place
3) BASIC SEARCH
     [complete] search front-end
     [incomplete] perform search front-end
     [incomplete] perform search back-end
4) ADVANCED SEARCH
     [complete] define toggles
     [incomplete] define filters
     [incomplete] define sorts
     [incomplete] enable/enforce limits
     [complete] search front-end
     [incomplete] perform search front-end
     [incomplete] perform search back-end
5) LANGUAGES
     [incomplete] Language.py module methods
     [incomplete] language JSON-RPC backend (preferred), or hardcode in Language.py
     [incomplete] replace hardcoded text with calls to Language module
6) HOME
     [complete] create page
     [incomplete] introduction/disclaimer
     [incomplete] recent updates front-end
     [incomplete] recent updates back-end
     [incomplete] statistics front-end
     [incomplete] statistics back-end
7) BROWSE/SEARCH/MY PACKAGES
     [complete] create page
     [incomplete] paginating results front-end
     [incomplete] paginating results back-end
8) VIEW PACKAGE
     [incomplete] create page
     [incomplete] package details front-end (name/link/desc/deps/files/etc.)
     [incomplete] package details back-end
     [incomplete] list comments front-end
     [incomplete] list comments back-end
     [incomplete] add comment front-end
     [incomplete] add comment back-end
9) ACCOUNTS
     [incomplete] create page
     [incomplete] create/edit account front-end
     [incomplete] create/edit account back-end
10) SUBMIT
     [incomplete] create page
     [incomplete] submit package front-end
     [incomplete] submit package back-end
PYJAMAS-DESKTOP ONLY (as python)
1) INSTALL
     [incomplete] add 'install' links (view/browse/search pages)
     [incomplete] install status/details front-end (GUI)
     [incomplete] python module "back-end" to download packages + dependencies and install
GET INVOLVED
1) set up a development environment + pyjs sandbox at ~/aur-pyjs...
     # /usr/lib/aur-pyjs-git/aur sync ~/aur-pyjs
     # cd ~/aur-pyjs
2) update pyjamas anytime by running...
     # ./aur sync
3) generate the AUR...
     # ./aur trans
4) view the AUR...
     # ./aur serve -f
     # http://127.0.0.1:8000/Aur.html
5) create a package based on remote git master...
     # ./aur pkg
6) create a package based on your local git master...
     # ./aur pkg -l
7) create a package based on your local git master AND install it...
     # ./aur pkg -li
All of the commands support a 'help' and 'usage' parameter:
# ./aur help
Usage: aur-pyjs COMMAND [help|OPTION]...
Develop, translate, package, and serve AUR3
COMMANDs:
pkg build package from local/remote master; opt. install; opt. upload
sync bootstrap/update local/target devel environment
trans translate python sources to javascript for deployment
serve lastest local build at http://localhost:8000
# ./aur pkg help
Usage: aur-pyjs pkg [-l] [-i] [-u]
Package local/remote build and optionally install and/or upload to AUR legacy
Options:
-l favor local source over remote
-i install package locally
-u upload to AUR legacy after building
LAST WORDS
yes.  I hope this to become the official AUR, and/or some other directions [1]
yes.  running as a python desktop app, you will be able to install packages directly
yes.  project is active; tentative completion date, ~October 2010
possibly.  I'd like to make it capable of running independently, managing the local system
no.  project is not a revived incarnation of other attempts
) advanced search will be restricted
) SOMEONE CAN START BUILDING JSON-RPC BACKENDS NOW
) PHP and MySQL s_ck.   If I do it, the back-ends will be python ( + git/sqlite/couchdb)
) feedback appreciated
) to contribute, fork on github and send me a request.
C Anthony
[1] http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=90970
Last edited by extofme (2010-09-12 23:37:47)

Answer 1

Xyne wrote:Sorry for being too lazy right now to check myself, but would this require that Javascript be enabled to use the AUR or does Pyjamas gracefully fall back to plain HTML?
heh, yeah i purposefully wasn't mentioning that at this point .
no, it is not able to fall back to plain old HTML.  there was/is a project, pyjamas-server or something, where the backend/server would run the app as python (i think, might have been spidermonkey), compute the DOM, then spit the result to the client/browser as an HTML document.  every time you did an "action" (clicked something/whatever), you would make a new request to the server, it would do the action for you, then spit back the result.  i'm not sure completely how it worked, but the biggest problem was that in order to maintain a "state" from the clients perspective (simply retaining variables/etc.), a permanent/daemon process was required on the server.  this daemon would essentially be doing the same thing a client browser would have done, had javascript been enabled, but the daemon is doing it for _every_ client that doesn't support JS.  the other option was to serialize/deserialize the entire state after each request, but that's slow
i have some hope for this in the future, but ATM it's not here.  although, it may be easy to "snapshot" points in a running pyjamas app, and save the DOM.  this could then be served up, and could reuse the same CSS as the JS version; i believe this is sort of how the new test suite in pyjs works, but i'm not sure.
the other option would be to just create a super simple HTML only version, maybe try to reuse the CSS, i dunno.  i've done manual web development for so long, that frankly i stopped caring about supporting 15 browsers and degrading gracefully to 10 different levels of functionality, it's just too much, and drives you mad wasting time.  this is why i love pyjamas; it takes care of the top 5 browsers or so, and others usually work fine.  so, i make a full functioning version, and a super crappy basic HTML version that does the bare minimum; if you don't like it, enable JS.  with the advent of HTML5 and the JS API's, JS will start to become a hard requirement anyways i think.
that was my long winded way of saying "no".
Xyne wrote:Regardless, it seems that you have a good vision for this project and I hope that your enthusiasm for it continues. I know that it can be somewhat discouraging when initially met with nay-saying and/or a seeming lack of interest.
thanks, and yeah it can be.  haha i thought people would be all over the idea of a new AUR, esp. one capable of running as a desktop app/installing with one click.  thats why i made it so easy to bootstrap a dev environment.  but meh, i code because i enjoy it, so i keep doing it cuz it feels gooooood.
C Anthony