[Zope] Help please = mxDateTime needed in Zope

[Jason Cunliffe]

Hello

An intermodal transport project I am working on  needs more advanced
DateTime tools than native Zope or the [lovely] CalendarTag product offer.

I've looked at the Python package mxDateTime
http://starship.python.net/~lemburg/mxDateTime.html

...and YES  it's just what we want.

Key features we like are:
- clean consistent syntax,
- the facility for datetime arithmetic
- all-in-one precision for timestamping anything.

Our application requires a framework for participants in intermodal
transport chains to search and negociate multiple transport connections
[truck and ship mainly]. Becuase of the interdependancies it is necesasary
to frequently iterate between multiple schedules from multiple prespectives.
This demands on the fly datetime arithemetic.

Q: How can we get _FULL_ access to all those
features/functions/paramters/etc in Zope via DTML or otherwise?

>>>Strategic and technical advice is needed... PythonExternal Methods vs.
ZopeProduct vs. ???

We've tried wrapping some test functions from mxDateTime as PythonExternal
methods, but [argghh] cannot pass parameters to them. Works ok in Python but
not in Zope 8-(

Is it possible to pass parameters to and from DTML to External Python
Methods?
If so How..

My dream is that mxDateTime becomes part of standard Python and thus Zope.
But I confess I really do not undersatnd the realtionship between modules in
the Python directory and what is available to call from Zope. Help.

Really hoping there is a good solution
Thanks in advance.

- Jason Cunliffe
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Jason CUNLIFFE = NOMADICS.(Interactive Art and Technology).Design Director