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programming-languagesservice

What language requires no external runtime and can run as a service (no GUI)

I'm a longtime web developer. (With some minor experience using AutoIT & some time messing with Android.)

Have now been asked to write a relatively simple script for distribution.

Requirements:

  • No GUI. checks/sets some registry keys in Win, the dev folder in Max/*nix.
  • It must be able to run as a service.
  • It must NOT require a runtime environment. The client has had bad experience with Java and .NET, and is scared of relying on AIR (which would've been my first thought). The gist of the issue is people not being willing or able to download these environments - but it's non negotiable, whether or not it's logical.
  • Smaller is better, when it comes to the output.

Does the language I need exist?

As an aside, I understand that this is supposed to complement some other program which DOES have a GUI, and which already exists in C++. This need not be in the same language.

I am willing to learn a new language for this objective, if need be.
If the perfect language does not exist, can software be written in Python, and then exported somehow to meet these requirements (I'd be happier to learn Python than C's if possible).
Should I use AutoIT and somehow have an installer make the exe run as a service? (Have not found anything that made sense to my noob brain while Googling.)

Also, any tips or heads-up from the experienced dev would be appreciated.

EDIT: "No Runtime Environment (RE)" was to exclude a 15+ MB's dependency on a 15 line script.
What I meant is a language that will pretty much run on most computers as is.

I understand that every language must have the language installed in order to be run, which perforce is an RE, besides the operating system on which that RE is installed.
I also understand the groan when someone installs a 30KB app, and is told that the computer must download a 30MB dependency (.NET, JAVA, AIR..)
And Pye2exe's method of including the 10MB of Python with the file is no better.

Solution

  • As noted by others all programs have dependencies on a runtime environment being at least the OS. However I understand that adding extra code to the runtime environment can cause problems if the users do not update their machines as required.

    There is always a risk that you code will use something that a user has not updated e.g. they have Windows XP without a service pack and you require something newer.

    I think there are several possible solutions

    1) as @Michael Aaron Safyan says use a batch command - I think you will be able to do this in Unix but windows batch might be too restrictive for your requirments

    2) Write the application in C/C++ with static libraries then the install should just be the code you have and it should run.You will have to look in as to how to set up a service but I think a Windows installer or in OSX a shell script will do this. (There are other languages that can be compiled into a single executable)

    3) For Unix python and perl are normally installed in /usr/bin but might be an old version - so this is a possiblility

    4) provide an installer which installes your app and the runtime. This is doable with Windows and .Net Microsoft supply then .Net runtime as a redistributable package, python can be built inro a plain windows execuable using pyexe.