[Zope] Fourth request for help - Win2K+Zope

[Martijn Pieters]

From: "Michael Simcich" <msimcich@accesstools.com>
> This is a realatively clean install of Windows 2000. I guess I will try
the
> python lists, but immediately... I have no idea about pyhthon, so... and
no
> I don't have any VPN software running.
>

Okay, it was just a hunch, something that has proven to be a problem before.

> By platform I wasn't referring to Win vs Linux, I intend to use Linux in
the
> long run and am experimenting with it now. I just don't need it's learning
> curve at the same time I'm of dealing with Zope/Python's. I was referring
to
> application development platforms. The group of tools I've been
> evaluating/working with include zope, php, asp, and cf. As far as I can
> tell, having had only minor hands on with zope, it's the most interesting
> fit for my needs. But if I can't get the thing to turn over... then it's
not
> relevant.
>
> I think this experience has shown me some of what it means to work with a
> product that's less mainstream than what I'm used to. I've pretty much
> worked with VB level tools. I guess I'm somewhat spoiled by the huge pool
of
> experienced users with those products.
>

I have seen VB tools do pretty strange things. Not because the VB tools were
wrong, just because the Windows platform is a unstable heap of interreleated
DLLs that is build like a cardhouse. When a piece of software breaks, you
cannot always tell where it goes wrong. You cannot even be sure that the
software broke because of a bug, or because of Windows.

> I still have a hard time believing that there isn't like... you know,
> something I can check? A setting? That the Zope community knows about.
This
> is perhaps part of what was brought up in another thread running here,
that
> perhaps in comparison with more widely used products like perl or php,
Zope
> is in some ways a bit resource thin. This would almost have to be the
case,
> it's just newer and has a smaller community behind it. I'm sure this will
> change. Since all of the languages are imperfect, at first they all have
> some dimly lit corners that need discovery and documentation.

I am not sure it is Zope in this case. Others have reported that Zope works
on their Win2k install, without problems. There just isn't anything in Zope
I can think of that might be causing this.

>
> BTW, I dont' get anything like a python.exe Application Error, I just
get...
> absolutely nothing. No errors, nothing.

Windows is never very forward with error reports.

Right. Lets see what we can get out of Zope here:

- Don't use start.bat. Use the command prompt instead.
- First, edit z2.py. At line 216, just above the comments and a line that
starts with swhome, insert:

  import pdb
  pdb.set_trace()

- cd to the Zope directory.
- type: bin\python.exe z2.py -D

If everything goes according to plan, you'll be put into the Python
Debugger. 's' steps to the next statement, 'n' steps over the next
statement. Typing a variable name will print it. Here is the output if I run
a few steps:

  --Return--
  > D:\Program Files\Python\Lib\pdb.py(868)set_trace()->None
  -> Pdb().set_trace()
  (Pdb) s
  > z2.py(220)?()
  -> swhome=r'D:\Program Files\Zope'
  (Pdb) s
  > z2.py(221)?()
  -> import sys
  (Pdb) swhome
  'D:\\Program Files\\Zope'
  (Pdb)

This is on a Win98 machine, with Python itself installed as well. The pdb
was imported from the Python path, instead of the Zope python path, but it
should make no difference here. You might want to read the pdb manual:

  http://www.python.org/doc/lib/debugger-commands.html

Stepping through, you will probably hit a point where things go wrong, i.e.,
Python exists without an error. But we can at least see if Python will run
at all, and if so, how far you can get.

Let us know what happens!

--
Martijn Pieters
| Software Engineer    mailto:mj@digicool.com
| Digital Creations  http://www.digicool.com/
| Creators of Zope       http://www.zope.org/
|   The Open Source Web Application Server
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