At work I'm having great luck using Pylons, a Python Web development framework that can use Ajax (client-side Javascript for more response Web user interfaces). This would be easily capable of accepting a CSD from a user, rendering it on the server, and sending back a page with messages as they come out, plus a link to the rendered soundfile at the end.

Regards,
Mike

-----Original Message-----
>From: David Akbari 
>Sent: Nov 8, 2007 5:30 PM
>To: csound@lists.bath.ac.uk
>Subject: [Csnd] Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Csound API to Web based frontend
>
>I immensely appreciate every bit of work the developers have done for
>Csound. The API allows new and exciting possibilties for languages
>like Python or several others as well.
>
>I didn't mean to single out Python, but for example with the current
>build you can use Csound in a lab setting that doesn't allow
>installation by simply setting OPCODEDIR (or its double-precision
>equivalent) in the current working Windows Command Interpreter.
>
>As Steven mentioned the installers are an ongoing process and
>different for each platform, that's more of a developer related
>discussion.
>
>
>For creating a web-based/online frontend for Csound it might be neat
>to use Python (on the server) to output another language that would be
>able to use a browser plugin (and not a client side Python based
>library) for controlling widgets on screen.
>
>I'll do some more research and report back. Thanks for your suggestions,
>
>
>David Akbari
>
>On Nov 8, 2007 3:58 PM, Steven Yi  wrote:
>> Well, from what I'm seeing, the problem is not that we don't all want
>> the same thing, it's just that the fix Michael tried didn't work.
>> That's all.  (It was supposed to detect python and install opcodes if
>> available and if not offer the option to install python.) The windows
>> installer for 5.07 was supposed to fix the the python installation
>> problem.  We didn't do a round of beta testing so we didn't find that
>> it didn't work until after the release which proved painful (for the
>> other dll link problems with msvcr80.dll as well).
>>
>> We're discussing a bit on the dev list on how to make sure these
>> things are sorted out for the next release and also trying to move
>> quickly to fix these problems.
>>
>> steven
>>
>>
>> On Nov 8, 2007 1:35 PM, joachim heintz  wrote:
>> > I think this is an important point, David. There should be a balance
>> > between the "old" Csound, which has to be as simple as possible (easy
>> > to install, simple GUI, good examples), and the "renewing" Csound,
>> > which has to integrate recent developments in programming (e.g.
>> > Python in Csound or the Python API). Looking for this balance can
>> > just  be a never ending story. I am grateful to the developers,
>> > because in general I find Csound5 a good solution for this difficult
>> > job. But we should try to make some things easier. When I am working
>> > with students of composition, they should find Csound as easy to
>> > install and to use as PD or so. But usually they are saying the same
>> > words as Dr. B. reported: "We tried to install Csound but it's not
>> > working." They know a lot in composing and they want to learn Csound,
>> > but they don't know Python and .dll. I agree with David: no one
>> > should be forced to install Python for using Csound. Can't there be a
>> > "core version" which gives messages like: 'You have not installed
>> > Python and ... on your system. You can run Csound but not use the
>> > Python (Fluid ...) opcodes.'?
>> >
>> >         joachim
>> >
>> >
>> > Am 08.11.2007 um 00:42 schrieb David Akbari:
>> >
>> >
>> > > Thank you for your suggestions,
>> > >
>> > > I'd prefer NOT to use Python. I really like the language but it is in
>> > > my experience, a major barrier to getting people into the Csound
>> > > language. Csound itself is daunting enough without bringing in the
>> > > idea of using Python. It is a nice extra and it should remain exactly
>> > > that, an *extra*.
>> > >
>> > > The dependency on Python for Windows based systems needs to be
>> > > removed. Users should not be expected to install Python just to use
>> > > the program; it's fine the build system is in Python but Python is
>> > > more of a language for people really into programming and as such it
>> > > shouldn't be necessary to get sound out of Csound.
>> > >
>> > > My goal in creating this thread is to make Csound more accessible to a
>> > > wider range of people - specifically individuals in
>> > > speech-language-hearing science who have not and will not ever be
>> > > "programmers".
>> > >
>> > > Csound can be a powerful pedagogical tool but it's a shame that I will
>> > > not be able to explain concepts using Csound's elegant encapsulation
>> > > of many synthesis and acoustic phenomenon because we are unable to
>> > > install Python in the labs.
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > David Akbari
>> > >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>