Question

Is there a way to call a program (Python script) from a local HTML page?
I have a YUI-colorpicker on that page and need to send its value to a microcontroller via rs232. (There is other stuff than the picker, so I can’t code an application instead of an HTML page.)

Later, this will migrate to a server, but I need a fast and easy solution now.

Thanks.

Answer 1

I see now that Daff mentioned the simple HTTP server, but I made an example on how you’d solve your problem (using BaseHTTPServer):

import BaseHTTPServer

HOST_NAME = 'localhost'
PORT_NUMBER = 1337

class MyHandler(BaseHTTPServer.BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
    def do_GET(s):
        s.send_response(200)
        s.send_header('Content-Type', 'text/html')
        s.end_headers()

        # Get parameters in query.
        params = {}
        index = s.path.rfind('?')
        if index >= 0:
            parts = s.path[index + 1:].split('&')
            for p in parts:
                try:
                    a, b = p.split('=', 2)
                    params[a] = b
                except:
                    params[p] = ''

        # !!!
        # Check if there is a color parameter and send to controller...
        if 'color' in params:
            print 'Send something to controller...'
        # !!!

        s.wfile.write('<pre>%s</pre>' % params)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    server_class = BaseHTTPServer.HTTPServer
    httpd = server_class((HOST_NAME, PORT_NUMBER), MyHandler)

    try:
        httpd.serve_forever()
    except KeyboardInterrupt:
        pass

    httpd.server_close()

Now, from your JavaScript, you’d call http://localhost:1337/?color=ffaabb