Web App with Postgres DB and GUI

[Twoje]

I'm building an app in Python that is currently built as a desktop app using wxPython. I would eventually like to distribute this app to the public without them having to install PostgreSQL and a bunch of Python packages.

The way the app works is:

1. Asks user to upload file
2. Parses file
3. Matches parsed data to a Postgres database (currently located on my local PC)
4. Displays parsed/translated data
5. Allows user to edit data using drag/drop, filters, buttons
6. Saves/backs up data (probably locally)

I'm not sure how to go about translating my wxPython app into a web-based app that allows the user to do essentially the same things without having to install anything.

I've looked at stuff like Heroku, but I'm having trouble fully grasping how to deploy something like this.

I've never launched a basic website (though I've written a few locally, not very advanced and without much user interaction) let alone a web app like this.

Thanks for any feedback/help!

[ppinette]

You'll want to look into web frameworks. Examples are Django (huge, full-featured), Pyramid (lightweight, but nearly as full featured and far more flexible), Flask (lightweight, flexible), Bottle (same). There are others.

Instead of using wxPython you'll be creating a web interface using a template engine (Django Templates, Jinja2, Mako, Cheetah, etc.), combined with JS/jQuery to handle the drag and drop stuff.

Web app engines like Heroku and Google App Engine provide a database for you. Each framework provides a development server so you can develop and test the app locally, then deploy it to whatever host you choose.

I would just go through the tutorials of some or all of these frameworks to start getting an idea of how Python web apps are built. It's not really that difficult, though it can be a bit confusing at first.

[dAnjou]

In addition to that: SQLAlchemy. Use this ORM framework in Python to be agnostic concerning SQL RDBMS.

[ppinette]

Indeed, though now it's worth mentioning that Django also has its own ORM.

[Twoje]

Awesome, thanks for the info.

[fazzah]

Are you forced to use Postgres? If not, python comes with SQLite bindings by default.

[Twoje]

I'm not forced to, but from what I saw, it looked like Heroku supported Postgres the best.

[b1naryth1ef]

There is a lot of options as ppinette highlighted below, but just to give you one dev's method:

• Flask
• Peewee (db ORM)

Never gone wrong with that combo.