Re: Packaging Perl Programs (is) Painful

[scorpio17]

I would also advise looking at the "webapp" route, for the following reasons:

• Everyone already has a web browser - so there's nothing to distribute/install.
• The browser becomes your interface/GUI - everyone is already familiar with this stuff, so there's no need to document/explain basic stuff.
• You only have to install/maintain one version of your app - the one on the web server. If you need to fix a bug, add a new feature, etc. you can do it in one place and all users instantly benefit from the change. Otherwise, you have to worry about pushing out the new version, dealing with users who won't upgrade, etc.
• Documentation can be centralized to the web also - no need to distribute doc files, worry with old versions, etc.

I realize that not every desktop utility can be converted into a web app. Some things are easier to do than others, some are hard, some impossible. But if there's anyway to make it work, it's totally worth it.

I haven't done any development with wxPerl - but I've done lots of work with C++ using the wxWidgets library. The library is very large, and even a small "hello world" program results in a 15MB exe (but the overhead becomes less notable as your app gets larger). There are numerous DLL files that have to be installed along with the app. I've used something called "inno compiler" to bundle everything - but it's still a pain, especially if you have to support Win95, Win98, WinXP, Vista, Win7, etc. Some stuff doesn't work on all systems, some stuff doesn't work the *same* on all systems. It sounds like you're trying to do this PLUS bundle perl into the mix... not fun! Find a way to "webify" and I think you'll be much happier.