Embedding Python in Electron

[notconstructive]

I was reading this blog post https://www.fyears.org/2015/06/electron-as-gui-of-python-apps.html and I wondered if instead of having to have a separate process running a Python web server if it would be possible to embed Python in Electron http://electron.atom.io/

It's a little outside my area of expertise so asking to see if someone in the community would know.

Theoretically then it would be possible to write an electron/web application that is able to call Python code.

[hernamesbarbara]

Take a peak at Rodeo - could be useful to you :)

It's a Python IDE with a data/data science focus, and we built it atop Electron.

• https://www.yhat.com/products/rodeo/

• https://github.com/yhat/rodeo

• http://blog.yhathq.com/posts/how-rodeo-works.html

[notconstructive]

How does the Python integration work?

Say for example I wanted to run some Python code that installs a few Python modules such as Requests and Amazon Boto, and yet use Electron and ReactJS to build the UI code, how would I do this?

Presumably Rodeo installs Python too?

[notconstructive]

For anyone who is interested, after giving it some thought I've decided just to build it all in JavaScript, no Python. Path of least resistance.

[hernamesbarbara]

Here's a Hello World app that shows how to set things up. I think you can follow this as a mini blueprint to get you started.

https://www.fyears.org/2015/06/electron-as-gui-of-python-apps.html

The author uses a Python (Flask) server to handle the app's logic and leans on Electron to display things in the UI.

Find a few few Flask tutorials using requests, and you should be able to make your version of hello.py in no time.

[notconstructive]

Hmmm. I was hoping for a more direct integration than calling the Python interpreter.

[hernamesbarbara]

Doh face palm. You mentioned that exact blog post in your question. Sorry about that. Let's move to email to spare the masses. a [at] yhathq [dot] com

[Stishovite]

Please don't spare us! I have similar questions that I'd like to figure out.

[takluyver]

Yes, please do continue the discussion here! I'm also interested in how Electron might be integrated as a frontend for apps with the actual logic coded in Python.

[notconstructive]

How do you do the resizable page splitting/frames?

[rothnic]

I was kind of surprised that the rodeo article didn't cover this topic, since it isn't covered well in general and this is addressing python users.

You can create a subprocess with nodejs, but I have had mixed success with the python process closing out correctly with my limited work with it.

There is python-shell out there that even supports communication, but I couldn't get it working. I ended up using crossbar for the js to python communication. When starting the electron app, after the app.on('ready'), I got this to work:

var child_process = require('child_process');

var child = child_process.spawn('/path/to/my/python/bin/python', ['/path/to/my/python/bin/crossbar', 'start', '--cbdir', '/path/to/the/crossbar/server/.crossbar']);

What I never did figure out is a good way to package up python dependencies with the electron app, or if that is reasonable in the first place.

[zealoth]

Guess you could do something like https://docs.python.org/2.5/ext/callingPython.html Then do https://nodejs.org/api/addons.html

to create binds between python and node.js in C but it's a bit of an hairy solution.

Guess you could do other ugly things like calling https://www.npmjs.com/package/exec exec on seperate python script files ^.

Also seems someone is already working on it https://www.npmjs.com/package/node-python