More Work on Python and Javascript Caltrain Schedules

August 1, 2008, 10:56 pm

I finally decided to sit down and fix some annoyances in my Caltrain schedule applications written in Python and Javascript. I added the ability to filter trains that don’t stop at either your departure or destination stations. For the Python version I also added the ability to install the package simply with easy_install caltrain. Even nicer, when you have setuptools installed (as you do when using easy_install), the installer will place a script named caltrain in your $PATH, which makes it a snap to launch the application. The magic part in setup.py for the script is simply:

    setup_args["entry_points"] = {
        "gui_scripts": [
            "caltrain = caltrain:gui",
        ]
    }

where the line "caltrain = caltrain:gui" means that the script will be named caltrain, and it will call the calltrain.gui function (caltrain is the module).

I also finally made a proper page describing the project. Much nicer than needing to find the last post on this blog about the topic.

I noticed Caltrain has a page listing mobile applications. I wonder what it would take to get them to include my little apps there. I quite prefer the UI in my applications to all the others (except for the PalmOS version). This is what the latest Javascript version looks like:

Online Caltrain Schedule Application for Windows Mobile in Javascript

California Dreams