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| 7 | <title>The wxPython wx Package</title> |
| 8 | <meta name="author" content="Patrick K. O'Brien" /> |
| 9 | <meta name="author" content="Robin Dunn" /> |
| 10 | <meta name="organization" content="Orbtech" /> |
| 11 | <meta name="date" content="2004-03-26" /> |
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| 14 | <body> |
| 15 | <div class="document" id="the-wxpython-wx-package"> |
| 16 | <h1 class="title">The wxPython wx Package</h1> |
| 17 | <h2 class="subtitle" id="or-how-to-survive-the-new-wx-namespace-changes">Or, how to survive the new wx namespace changes.</h2> |
| 18 | <table class="docinfo" frame="void" rules="none"> |
| 19 | <col class="docinfo-name" /> |
| 20 | <col class="docinfo-content" /> |
| 21 | <tbody valign="top"> |
| 22 | <tr><th class="docinfo-name">Author:</th> |
| 23 | <td>Patrick K. O'Brien</td></tr> |
| 24 | <tr><th class="docinfo-name">Author:</th> |
| 25 | <td>Robin Dunn</td></tr> |
| 26 | <tr><th class="docinfo-name">Contact:</th> |
| 27 | <td><a class="first last reference" href="mailto:pobrien@orbtech.com">pobrien@orbtech.com</a></td></tr> |
| 28 | <tr><th class="docinfo-name">Organization:</th> |
| 29 | <td><a class="first last reference" href="http://www.orbtech.com/">Orbtech</a></td></tr> |
| 30 | <tr><th class="docinfo-name">Date:</th> |
| 31 | <td>2004-03-26</td></tr> |
| 32 | <tr><th class="docinfo-name">Revision:</th> |
| 33 | <td>1.4</td></tr> |
| 34 | </tbody> |
| 35 | </table> |
| 36 | <div class="contents topic" id="contents"> |
| 37 | <p class="topic-title first"><a name="contents">Contents</a></p> |
| 38 | <ul class="simple"> |
| 39 | <li><a class="reference" href="#introduction" id="id2" name="id2">Introduction</a></li> |
| 40 | <li><a class="reference" href="#why-change-anything" id="id3" name="id3">Why change anything?</a></li> |
| 41 | <li><a class="reference" href="#what-does-the-new-wx-package-do" id="id4" name="id4">What does the new wx package do?</a></li> |
| 42 | <li><a class="reference" href="#will-any-of-this-effect-my-existing-code" id="id5" name="id5">Will any of this effect my existing code?</a></li> |
| 43 | <li><a class="reference" href="#what-about-all-the-other-modules-like-grid-html-and-stc" id="id6" name="id6">What about all the other modules, like grid, html, and stc?</a></li> |
| 44 | <li><a class="reference" href="#how-do-i-use-this-new-wx-package" id="id7" name="id7">How do I use this new wx package?</a></li> |
| 45 | <li><a class="reference" href="#what-are-the-issues-with-converting-old-code-to-use-the-new-wx-package" id="id8" name="id8">What are the issues with converting old code to use the new wx package?</a></li> |
| 46 | <li><a class="reference" href="#where-can-i-find-example-programs-using-the-new-wx-syntax" id="id9" name="id9">Where can I find example programs using the new wx syntax?</a></li> |
| 47 | </ul> |
| 48 | </div> |
| 49 | <div class="section" id="introduction"> |
| 50 | <h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id2" name="introduction">Introduction</a></h1> |
| 51 | <p>In the begining there was Python, and Python had modules, and Python |
| 52 | was good. But after a time Guido looked on Python and saw that Python |
| 53 | needed organizational assistance, and so Guido took code from Python's |
| 54 | side and created Packages and then Python was very good. About this |
| 55 | time wxPython was reborn, and wxPython used Packages, but being young |
| 56 | and trying to use a new technology wxPython did not know how to use |
| 57 | Packages effectivly. wxPython was good, but dreamed of being much |
| 58 | better...</p> |
| 59 | <p>Now many years later, after tons of code reorganization and build |
| 60 | hacking wxPython has reached that goal. In version 2.4.1 a prototype |
| 61 | of this new structure was introduced that dynamically built at import |
| 62 | time a new toplevel package named simply "wx" that contained all the |
| 63 | items from wxPython.wx but with the names edited to remove the wx |
| 64 | prefix. Now in 2.5 the final phase of that switcheroo has been |
| 65 | completed and the <em>real</em> classes, functions and constants are now |
| 66 | located in the wx package, leaving some compatibility modules in |
| 67 | wxPython.wx. This document should answer all the questions you might |
| 68 | have concerning the new wx package. Please also take a look at the |
| 69 | <a class="reference" href="MigrationGuide.html">2.5 Migration Guide</a> to see notes about other big differences in |
| 70 | this release.</p> |
| 71 | </div> |
| 72 | <div class="section" id="why-change-anything"> |
| 73 | <h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id3" name="why-change-anything">Why change anything?</a></h1> |
| 74 | <p>This change is being made for a couple of reasons. The first reason |
| 75 | is to discourage the use of <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">import</span> <span class="pre">*</span></tt>, which is a dangerous |
| 76 | technique that can create name conflicts and bloated namespaces.</p> |
| 77 | <p>The second reason is to remove what some perceive to be a "wart." For |
| 78 | example, the following code is rather ugly in that the "wx" prefix on |
| 79 | the wxFrame class name is no longer useful when you're using the wx |
| 80 | module prefix:</p> |
| 81 | <pre class="literal-block"> |
| 82 | from wxPython import wx |
| 83 | |
| 84 | class Frame(wx.wxFrame) |
| 85 | </pre> |
| 86 | <p>The new wx package allows you to write code like this, instead:</p> |
| 87 | <pre class="literal-block"> |
| 88 | import wx |
| 89 | |
| 90 | class Frame(wx.Frame) |
| 91 | </pre> |
| 92 | <p>The third reason is that the wxWindows project has considered doing |
| 93 | the same thing (implement a new wx namespace and drop the "wx" prefix) |
| 94 | and we want wxPython to lead the way.</p> |
| 95 | </div> |
| 96 | <div class="section" id="what-does-the-new-wx-package-do"> |
| 97 | <h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id4" name="what-does-the-new-wx-package-do">What does the new wx package do?</a></h1> |
| 98 | <p>As mentioned in the Introduction, wxPython 2.4.1 introduced a way of |
| 99 | getting to this new syntax as quickly as possible. It would import |
| 100 | the old names (like "wxFrame") from the old package and then create new |
| 101 | names in the wx package without the wx prefix, (like "Frame".) |
| 102 | Starting with wxPython 2.5 the renaming is moved up to the wxPython |
| 103 | build step, so the real classes and etc. are actually named with the |
| 104 | new name (like "Frame") and are located in the new wx package.</p> |
| 105 | <p>For compatibility the old wxPython package still exists, but now it is |
| 106 | populated with modules that simply import the new names and then |
| 107 | "reverse-renames" them to the old names. It probably sounds a bit |
| 108 | complicated, but it is mostly automated and so it doesn't cause |
| 109 | problems in most cases.</p> |
| 110 | </div> |
| 111 | <div class="section" id="will-any-of-this-effect-my-existing-code"> |
| 112 | <h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id5" name="will-any-of-this-effect-my-existing-code">Will any of this effect my existing code?</a></h1> |
| 113 | <p>No. Your existing code will continue to work and be supported for |
| 114 | some time. It will be up to you to decide when to switch to the new |
| 115 | syntax. But all new documentation and code examples will use the new |
| 116 | syntax. So don't wait too long. You wouldn't want anyone calling you |
| 117 | old-fashioned, would you?</p> |
| 118 | <p>When you import from wxPython.wx and use a class with the old name, |
| 119 | such as wxButton, you are actually using the wx.Button class. I |
| 120 | expect that the vast majority of the existing code should work fine |
| 121 | using this scheme. The only things that may cause problems is if your |
| 122 | old code is depending on some of the implemtation details, or if you |
| 123 | are using other things that have changed in the API. See the |
| 124 | <a class="reference" href="MigrationGuide.html">Migration Guide</a> for more details.</p> |
| 125 | </div> |
| 126 | <div class="section" id="what-about-all-the-other-modules-like-grid-html-and-stc"> |
| 127 | <h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id6" name="what-about-all-the-other-modules-like-grid-html-and-stc">What about all the other modules, like grid, html, and stc?</a></h1> |
| 128 | <p>There's more to the old wxPython than just the wxPython.wx module. |
| 129 | And we've got those extra modules covered as well. Each of those |
| 130 | modules (as well as the lib subpackage) has been moved to the new wx |
| 131 | package and reverse-renamers have been placed in the wxPython package |
| 132 | as needed.</p> |
| 133 | </div> |
| 134 | <div class="section" id="how-do-i-use-this-new-wx-package"> |
| 135 | <h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id7" name="how-do-i-use-this-new-wx-package">How do I use this new wx package?</a></h1> |
| 136 | <p>The wx package is automatically created when you install wxPython |
| 137 | version 2.4.1 or higher. So all you have to do is:</p> |
| 138 | <pre class="literal-block"> |
| 139 | import wx |
| 140 | </pre> |
| 141 | </div> |
| 142 | <div class="section" id="what-are-the-issues-with-converting-old-code-to-use-the-new-wx-package"> |
| 143 | <h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id8" name="what-are-the-issues-with-converting-old-code-to-use-the-new-wx-package">What are the issues with converting old code to use the new wx package?</a></h1> |
| 144 | <p>Obviously, you need to change your import statements from:</p> |
| 145 | <pre class="literal-block"> |
| 146 | from wxPython import wx |
| 147 | </pre> |
| 148 | <p>or:</p> |
| 149 | <pre class="literal-block"> |
| 150 | from wxPython.wx import * |
| 151 | </pre> |
| 152 | <p>to:</p> |
| 153 | <pre class="literal-block"> |
| 154 | import wx |
| 155 | </pre> |
| 156 | <p>Then you need to refer to wx attributes without a "wx" prefix, such |
| 157 | as:</p> |
| 158 | <pre class="literal-block"> |
| 159 | class MyFrame(wx.Frame): |
| 160 | </pre> |
| 161 | <p>In most cases, existing code can be modified with a simple search and |
| 162 | replace.</p> |
| 163 | </div> |
| 164 | <div class="section" id="where-can-i-find-example-programs-using-the-new-wx-syntax"> |
| 165 | <h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id9" name="where-can-i-find-example-programs-using-the-new-wx-syntax">Where can I find example programs using the new wx syntax?</a></h1> |
| 166 | <p>The wxPython demo application and most of the sample apps have been |
| 167 | converted to use the new <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">import</span> <span class="pre">wx</span></tt> style of programming with |
| 168 | wxPython, so there are lots of examples to look at and to play with. |
| 169 | Here is one of them, it is the <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">simple</span></tt> sample.</p> |
| 170 | <pre class="literal-block"> |
| 171 | #---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 172 | # A very simple wxPython example. Just a wx.Frame, wx.Panel, |
| 173 | # wx.StaticText, wx.Button, and a wx.BoxSizer, but it shows the basic |
| 174 | # structure of any wxPython application. |
| 175 | #---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 176 | |
| 177 | import wx |
| 178 | |
| 179 | |
| 180 | class MyFrame(wx.Frame): |
| 181 | """ |
| 182 | This is MyFrame. It just shows a few controls on a wxPanel, |
| 183 | and has a simple menu. |
| 184 | """ |
| 185 | def __init__(self, parent, title): |
| 186 | wx.Frame.__init__(self, parent, -1, title, |
| 187 | pos=(150, 150), size=(350, 200)) |
| 188 | |
| 189 | # Create the menubar |
| 190 | menuBar = wx.MenuBar() |
| 191 | |
| 192 | # and a menu |
| 193 | menu = wx.Menu() |
| 194 | |
| 195 | # add an item to the menu, using \tKeyName automatically |
| 196 | # creates an accelerator, the third param is some help text |
| 197 | # that will show up in the statusbar |
| 198 | menu.Append(wx.ID_EXIT, "E&xit\tAlt-X", "Exit this simple sample") |
| 199 | |
| 200 | # bind the menu event to an event handler |
| 201 | self.Bind(wx.EVT_MENU, self.OnTimeToClose, id=wx.ID_EXIT) |
| 202 | |
| 203 | # and put the menu on the menubar |
| 204 | menuBar.Append(menu, "&File") |
| 205 | self.SetMenuBar(menuBar) |
| 206 | |
| 207 | self.CreateStatusBar() |
| 208 | |
| 209 | |
| 210 | # Now create the Panel to put the other controls on. |
| 211 | panel = wx.Panel(self) |
| 212 | |
| 213 | # and a few controls |
| 214 | text = wx.StaticText(panel, -1, "Hello World!") |
| 215 | text.SetFont(wx.Font(14, wx.SWISS, wx.NORMAL, wx.BOLD)) |
| 216 | text.SetSize(text.GetBestSize()) |
| 217 | btn = wx.Button(panel, -1, "Close") |
| 218 | funbtn = wx.Button(panel, -1, "Just for fun...") |
| 219 | |
| 220 | # bind the button events to handlers |
| 221 | self.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.OnTimeToClose, btn) |
| 222 | self.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.OnFunButton, funbtn) |
| 223 | |
| 224 | # Use a sizer to layout the controls, stacked vertically and with |
| 225 | # a 10 pixel border around each |
| 226 | sizer = wx.BoxSizer(wx.VERTICAL) |
| 227 | sizer.Add(text, 0, wx.ALL, 10) |
| 228 | sizer.Add(btn, 0, wx.ALL, 10) |
| 229 | sizer.Add(funbtn, 0, wx.ALL, 10) |
| 230 | panel.SetSizer(sizer) |
| 231 | panel.Layout() |
| 232 | |
| 233 | |
| 234 | def OnTimeToClose(self, evt): |
| 235 | """Event handler for the button click.""" |
| 236 | print "See ya later!" |
| 237 | self.Close() |
| 238 | |
| 239 | def OnFunButton(self, evt): |
| 240 | """Event handler for the button click.""" |
| 241 | print "Having fun yet?" |
| 242 | |
| 243 | |
| 244 | class MyApp(wx.App): |
| 245 | def OnInit(self): |
| 246 | frame = MyFrame(None, "Simple wxPython App") |
| 247 | self.SetTopWindow(frame) |
| 248 | |
| 249 | print "Print statements go to this stdout window by default." |
| 250 | |
| 251 | frame.Show(True) |
| 252 | return True |
| 253 | |
| 254 | app = MyApp(redirect=True) |
| 255 | app.MainLoop() |
| 256 | |
| 257 | |
| 258 | </pre> |
| 259 | </div> |
| 260 | </div> |
| 261 | </body> |
| 262 | </html> |