]> git.saurik.com Git - wxWidgets.git/blame - wxPython/docs/PyManual.txt
fixed deadlock when calling wxPostEvent() from worker thread
[wxWidgets.git] / wxPython / docs / PyManual.txt
CommitLineData
1fded56b
RD
1===============
2 The Py Manual
3===============
4
5-------------------------
6 Py - Served Fresh Daily
7-------------------------
8
9:Author: Patrick K. O'Brien
10:Contact: pobrien@orbtech.com
11:Organization: Orbtech_
12:Date: $Date$
13:Revision: $Revision$
14
15.. _Orbtech: http://www.orbtech.com/
16
17.. contents::
18
19
20Introduction
21============
22
23This document will show you how to use the Py programs and the Py
24library of Python source code modules. Py is the new name for the
25project that began as PyCrust. Py is officially part of wxPython_,
26and includes PyCrust, so PyCrust is no longer distributed separately.
27
28.. _wxPython: http://www.wxpython.org/
29
30
31Developer Reference
32===================
33
34Source code documentation for developers is available at:
35
36http://www.orbtech.com/www/wx/epydoc/public/wx.py-module.html
37
38
39What is Py?
40===========
41
42Besides being `a delicious dessert`_, Py is the name for a collection
43of whimsically-named Python programs and modules that began as the
44PyCrust project. So Py is really several things: a set of standalone
45programs, including the original PyCrust program, a library of Python
e8601bb2 46source code modules that can be used in your own programs, and as many
1fded56b
RD
47examples of bad "pie" puns as I can come up with. (If you're going to
48do something, you might as well do it all the way, right?) Py uses
49Python and wxPython, so it works equally well on Windows, Linux and
50Mac OS X.
51
52.. _a delicious dessert: http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pie
53
54
55PyCrust is dead! Long live Py!
56==============================
57
58This project began with a program I created called PyCrust - an
59interactive, graphical Python shell, developed using the wxPython GUI
60toolkit. For about two years, PyCrust was hosted on SourceForge_.
61Shortly after I created PyCrust, the wxPython folks started including
62it in their distribution. As the PyCrust project grew, it reached a
63point where I thought the original PyCrust name was too confining. I
64was using the PyCrust code base to develop programs that weren't just
65Python shells any more.
66
67Around that same time, the wxPython folks asked me if I'd be willing
68to move all my wxPython-related projects into the `wxPython CVS
90805926 69repository`_, and become part of the wxPython_/wxWidgets_ developer team.
1fded56b
RD
70I decided the time was right to restructure the PyCrust project.
71During the move, the PyCrust package was renamed to "py" (lowercase
72"p") and the collection of programs and modules as a whole became
73known as "Py" (with a capital "P").
74
90805926 75.. _wxPython CVS repository: http://cvs.wxWidgets.org
1fded56b 76.. _SourceForge: http://www.sf.net/projects/pycrust/
90805926 77.. _wxWidgets: http://www.wxWidgets.org/
1fded56b
RD
78
79The original goal of PyCrust was to be the best interactive, graphical
80Python shell (of course, I claimed it was the "flakiest" Python
81shell). And that was all I wanted it to be. But little by little I
82found myself developing a wider variety of tools for wxPython
83applications. Eventually I'll create a debugger (PySlice, perhaps)
84and whatever else is needed to one day become a complete wxPython
85application development environment (PyFactory?). In the mean time,
86PyCrust is still the flakiest Python shell, and the other Py programs
87are equally tasty.
88
89At this point, Py has standalone programs that include Python code
90editors (PyAlaCarte and PyAlaMode), interactive Python shells (PyCrust
91and PyShell), and a runtime wrapper (PyWrap). The runtime wrapper
92utility provides you with runtime introspection capabilities for your
93wxPython programs without having to include PyCrust or PyShell in your
94program, and without having to alter one line of your source code.
95
96Py also contains a collection of modules that you can use in your own
97wxPython applications to provide similar services, either for your own
98use during development, or as an interface for users of your programs.
e8601bb2 99These modules are the same ones used by all the Py programs.
1fded56b
RD
100
101
102Py standalone programs
103======================
104
105These are the standalone applications in the Py collection:
106
107* PyAlaCarte
108* PyAlaMode
109* PyCrust
110* PyFilling
111* PyShell
112* PyWrap
113
114
115PyAlaCarte
116==========
117
118PyAlaCarte is a Python source code editor. It is designed to have a
119simple, single-file interface. As a standalone application, it is
120good for simple, short editing tasks. But it is really meant to be
121more of an example of how to embed the Py editor into a wxPython
122application.
123
124
125PyAlaMode
126=========
127
128PyAlaMode is a Python source code editor.
129
130
131PyCrust
132=======
133
134PyCrust is an interactive, Python shell. But it's more than just a
135shell. It includes a tabbed notebook containing a namespace tree
136(PyFilling), and several other things.
137
138
139PyFilling
140=========
141
142PyFilling is a namespace viewer. It isn't really useful as a
143standalone program, but it does illustrate how to make use of the
144underlying ``filling`` module.
145
146
147PyShell
148=======
149
150PyShell is an interactive, Python shell. It shares the same base code
151as PyCrust, but doesn't have any of the extra features that appear in
152the PyCrust notebook interface.
153
90805926 154.. figure:: screenshots/PyShell.png
1fded56b 155
90805926 156 PyShell running on Mandrake Linux.
1fded56b
RD
157
158
159PyWrap
160======
161
162PyWrap is a runtime utility that lets you run an existing wxPython
163program with a PyCrust frame at the same time. Inside the PyCrust
164shell namespace, the local variable ``app`` is assigned to your
165application instance. In this way you can introspect your entire
166application within the PyCrust shell, as well as the PyFilling
e8601bb2 167namespace viewer.
1fded56b
RD
168
169
170Py modules
171==========
172
173Py was designed to be modular. That means graphical code is kept
174separate from non-graphical code, and many of the Py modules can be
175used by other programs. Likewise, other programs can supply some of
176the modules needed by Py. For example, you could supply a customized
177interpreter module and plug it in to the PyCrust standalone
178application. As long as it supports the minimum functionality
179required, PyCrust will work just as well with your interpreter as with
180its default interpreter.
181
182
1fded56b
RD
183Projects using Py
184=================
185
186* `Conflict Solver`_
187* Gnumed_
188* PyGist
189* PythonCard_
190* RPy_
191* SciPy_
192* Sim42_
193* wxGasp_
194
195.. _Conflict Solver: http://conflictsolver.sourceforge.net/
196.. _Gnumed: http://www.gnumed.org/
197.. _PythonCard: http://www.pythoncard.org/
198.. _RPy: http://rpy.sourceforge.net/
199.. _SciPy: http://www.scipy.org/
200.. _Sim42: http://www.sim42.org/
201.. _wxGasp: http://linus.yorktown.arlington.k12.va.us/CS/APCSC/student_sites/David_Mayo/wxGasp
202
203
204History of changes
205==================
206
207This section lists all the changes that have been made to the Py
208programs and modules, since the beginning.
209
8eda5e35 210.. include:: ../wx/py/CHANGES.txt
1fded56b 211