Boa Constructor bookmark!
Hello and thanks for dropping in to check out Boa Constructor. Boa Constructor is an IDE and was originally written in 1999. It runs in Python and uses wxPython for its GUI elements and controls. In 1999, Python and wxPython were very different and have evolved over the itervening time. As such, Boa Constructor will not run on current releases of Python or wxPython. This project was created to “uplift” the code to get Boa working again in modern programming environments.
Boa Constructor is described as a Rapid Application Development tool. Apart from features common to most IDEs such as a full-featured editor, a built-in debugger, TODO functions, Bookmarking, etc Boa also features a GUI-based GUI builder. This means you can graphically build your applications window frame, its menus, its toolbars and buttons, its text entry areas and other controls. There are many built=in wxPython controls available for use in your application; colour picker, Directory Navigation dialogue and file selection, various dialogue boxes to communicate with your user. wxPython has many other controls like radio buttons, spinners, sliders, combo boxes, etc all available for you to pick-and-click into your application.
Boa Constructor presumes your application will operate in the Model-View-Controller framework. Part of the basic design flow in Boa is to select controls and lay them out graphically to make up you user interface and select the events they generate that need to be managed. As such, a project should start its life in Boa Constructor and continue to completion. It is difficult to migrate an existing program into Boa.
The project is on-going. There are still many parts of Boa that are not yet functional but most of the basics are there for you to get started. There is enough functionality to complete the original Boa Constructor tutorial activity that demonstrates how to use Boa to create basic applications. More functionaity will be available in later releases as I get more working. You can watch how things are progressing by going to the Discussion section (in the menu near the top of the page) and look for “Day-by-Day Progress Reporting Diary”. Despite the title, updates are approximately weekly. Don’t forget to click on the Newest button to see the latest updates.
Over the next week or two, I will be adding instructions on how to download Boa Constructor onto your platform and get it working.
If you have the desire and skill to help resurrect Boa Constructor, I would love to hear from you.
Ian Baker June 2024