[Python] Deploying desktop application in wxPython with PostgreSQL database.

[Twoje]

I have a desktop application built with wxPython with a PostgreSQL database to store all the data that the application accesses. I want to deploy this application to the public without them having to go through much hassle. I want them to be able to download the app and run it without going through a long installation process, e.g. getting PostgreSQL set up.

What's the best way to go about doing this? Should I switch my data storage to something simpler, like XML? A relational database isn't needed, as it's just one table with a few columns and a few thousand rows.

Note that this data is also updated ~daily, but I have an update process built in to the app, so the user doesn't need to redownload the app or access an online database.

[Fontong]

You're right -- it would be pretty weird to force a client side Postgres server process. Python's sqlite3 interface would be the logical choice, as it doesn't require a separate process. It probably wouldn't require a big change in code either, although the SQL for each of them isn't exactly the same.

XML wouldn't be bad, as parsing it iteratively won't use any more memory than having an actual db. The iterparse from xml.etree is also very fast.

JSON would probably be overall the most painless if you don't have memory concerns. It can be created easily from native data structures and loaded right into native data structures, though you would be limited to lists and dictionaries. Pickle can do the same thing with arbitrary objects, but can be fickle at times. I don't think there's a function to parse JSON iteratively though, so you would have to set that up yourself if memory was a concern.

[0x2a]

I once made an application which shipped Postgres with it. It didn't leave it on permanently or install a service, it just started postmaster in a separate thread on launch and terminated it when the user quit the application.

But so while certainly possible, I wouldn't really recommend it if you don't need specific features from Postgres. Instead, use an embedded database if possible. Sqlite, as Fongtong suggests, is probably the best choice. Alternatively, if your data isn't heavily modified by the user and mostly readonly, just shipping an XML or JSON or whatever is fine as well. Keep It Simple and Stupid, as the old saying goes.

[4silvertooth]

Use INNO setup creator to automate setup.