utils/wxPython/README.txt

   1 wxPython README
   2 ---------------
   3
   4 Welcome to the wonderful world of wxPython!
   5
   6 Once you have installed the wxPython extension module, you can try it
   7 out by going to the [install dir]\wxPython\demo directory and typing:
   8
   9     python demo.py
  10
  11 There are also some other sample files there for you to play with and
  12 learn from.
  13
  14 If you selected to install the documentation then point your browser
  15 to [install dir]\wxPython\docs\index.htm and you will then be looking
  16 at the docs for wxWindows.  For the most part you can use the C++ docs
  17 as most classes and methods are used identically.  Where there are
  18 differences they are documented with a "wxPython Note."
  19
  20 On Win32 systems the binary self-installer creates a program group on
  21 the Start Menu that contains a link to running the demo and a link to
  22 the help file.  To help you save disk space I'm now using Microsoft's
  23 HTML Help format.  If your system doesn't know what to do with the help
  24 file, you can install the HTML Help Viewer as part of IE 4+, NT
  25 Service Pack 4+, or the HTML Workshop at
  26
  27 http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/htmlhelp/download.asp.
  28
  29
  30
  31 Getting Help
  32 ------------
  33
  34 Since wxPython is a blending of multiple technologies, help comes from
  35 multiple sources.  See the http://alldunn.com/wxPython for details on
  36 various sources of help, but probably the best source is the
  37 wxPython-users mail list.  You can view the archive or subscribe by
  38 going to
  39
  40        http://starship.python.net/mailman/listinfo/wxpython-users
  41
  42 Or you can send mail directly to the list using this address:
  43
  44        wxpython-users@starship.python.net
  45
  46 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  47
  48 What's new in 2.1b2
  49 --------------------
  50
  51 Added the missing wxWindow.GetUpdateRegion() method.
  52
  53 Made a new change in SWIG (update your patches everybody) that
  54 provides a fix for global shadow objects that get an exception in
  55 their __del__ when their extension module has already been deleted.
  56 It was only a 1 line change in .../SWIG/Modules/pycpp.cxx at about
  57 line 496 if you want to do it by hand.
  58
  59 It is now possible to run through MainLoop more than once in any one
  60 process.  The cleanup that used to happen as MainLoop completed (and
  61 prevented it from running again) has been delayed until the wxc module
  62 is being unloaded by Python.
  63
  64 I fixed a bunch of stuff in the C++ version of wxGrid so it wouldn't
  65 make wxPython look bad.
  66
  67 wxWindow.PopupMenu() now takes a wxPoint instead of  x,y.  Added
  68 wxWindow.PopupMenuXY to be consistent with some other methods.
  69
  70 Added wxGrid.SetEditInPlace and wxGrid.GetEditInPlace.
  71
  72 You can now provide your own app.MainLoop method.  See
  73 wxPython/demo/demoMainLoop.py for an example and some explaination.
  74
  75 Got the in-place-edit for the wxTreeCtrl fixed and added some demo
  76 code to show how to use it.
  77
  78 Put the wxIcon constructor back in for GTK as it now has one that
  79 matches MSW's.
  80
  81 Added wxGrid.GetCells
  82
  83 Added wxSystemSettings static methods as functions with names like
  84 wxSystemSettings_GetSystemColour.
  85
  86 Removed wxPyMenu since using menu callbacks have been depreciated in
  87 wxWindows.  Use wxMenu and events instead.
  88
  89 Added alternate wxBitmap constructor (for MSW only) as
  90       wxBitmapFromData(data, type, width, height, depth = 1)
  91
  92 Added a helper function named wxPyTypeCast that can convert shadow
  93 objects of one type into shadow objects of another type.  (Like doing
  94 a down-cast.)  See the implementation in wx.py for some docs.
  95
  96 Fixed wxImage GetData and SetData to properly use String objects for
  97 data transfer.
  98
  99 Added access methods to wxGridEvent.
 100
 101 New Makefile/Setup files supporting multiple dynamic extension modules
 102 for unix systems.
 103
 104 Fixes for the wxGLCanvas demo to work around a strange bug in gtk.
 105
 106 SWIG support routines now compiled separately instead of being bundled
 107 in wx.cpp.
 108
 109
 110
 111
 112 What's new in 2.1b1
 113 --------------------
 114 Fixed wxComboBox.SetSelection so that it actually sets the selected
 115 item.  (Actually just removed it from wxPython and let it default to
 116 wxChoice.SetSelection which was already doing the right thing.)
 117
 118 Added the Printing Framework.
 119
 120 Switched back to using the wxWindows DLL for the pre-built Win32
 121 version.  The problem was needing to reinitialize static class info
 122 data after loading each extension module.
 123
 124 Lots of little tweaks and additions to reflect changes to various
 125 wxWindows classes.
 126
 127 Fixed a bug with attaching objects to tree items.  Actually was a
 128 symptom of a larger problem with not obtaining the interpreter lock
 129 when doing any Py_DECREFs.
 130
 131 wxSizer and friends.  Sizers are layout tools that manage a colection
 132 of windows and sizers.  Different types of sizers apply different
 133 types of layout algorithms.  You saw it here first!  These classes are
 134 not even in the wxWindows C++ library yet!
 135
 136
 137
 138 What's new in 2.0b9
 139 -------------------
 140 Bug fix for ListCtrl in test4.py (Was a missing file...  DSM!)
 141
 142 Bug fix for occassional GPF on Win32 systems upon termination of a
 143 wxPython application.
 144
 145 Added wxListBox.GetSelections returning selections as a Tuple.
 146
 147 Added a wxTreeItemData that is able to hold any Python object and be
 148 associated with items in a wxTreeCtrl.  Added test pytree.py to show
 149 this feature off.
 150
 151 Added wxSafeYield function.
 152
 153 OpenGL Canvas can be optionally compiled in to wxPython.
 154
 155 Awesome new Demo Framework for showing off wxPython and for learning
 156 how it all works.
 157
 158 The pre-built Win32 version is no longer distributing the wxWindows
 159 DLL.  It is statically linked with the wxWindows library instead.
 160
 161 Added a couple missing items from the docs.
 162
 163 Added wxImage, wxImageHandler, wxPNGHandler, wxJPEGHandler,
 164 wxGIFHandler and wxBMPHandler.
 165
 166 Added new methods to wxTextCtrl.
 167
 168 Fixed some problems with how SWIG was wrapping some wxTreeCtrl
 169 methods.
 170
 171
 172
 173 What's new in 2.0b8
 174 -------------------
 175 Support for using Python threads in wxPython apps.
 176
 177 Several missing methods from various classes.
 178
 179 Various bug fixes.
 180
 181
 182
 183 What's new in 2.0b7
 184 -------------------
 185 Added DLG_PNT and DLG_SZE convienience methods to wxWindow class.
 186
 187 Added missing constructor and other methods for wxMenuItem.
 188
 189
 190
 191 What's new in 2.0b6
 192 -------------------
 193 Just a quickie update to fix the self-installer to be compatible with
 194 Python 1.5.2b2's Registry settings.
 195
 196
 197 What's new in 2.0b5
 198 -------------------
 199 Well obviously the numbering scheme has changed.  I did this to
 200 reflect the fact that this truly is the second major revision of
 201 wxPython, (well the third actually if you count the one I did for
 202 wxWindows 1.68 and then threw away...) and also that it is associated
 203 with the 2.0 version of wxWindows.
 204
 205 I have finally started documenting wxPython.  There are several pages
 206 in the wxWindows documentation tree specifically about wxPython, and I
 207 have added notes within the class references about where and how wxPython
 208 diverges from wxWindows.
 209
 210 Added wxWindow_FromHWND(hWnd) for wxMSW to construct a wxWindow from a
 211 window handle.  If you can get the window handle into the python code,
 212 it should just work...  More news on this later.
 213
 214 Added wxImageList, wxToolTip.
 215
 216 Re-enabled wxConfig.DeleteAll() since it is reportedly fixed for the
 217 wxRegConfig class.
 218
 219 As usual, some bug fixes, tweaks, etc.
 220
 221
 222
 223 What's new in 0.5.3
 224 -------------------
 225 Added wxSashWindow, wxSashEvent, wxLayoutAlgorithm, etc.
 226
 227 Various cleanup, tweaks, minor additions, etc. to maintain
 228 compatibility with the current wxWindows.
 229
 230
 231
 232 What's new in 0.5.0
 233 -------------------
 234 Changed the import semantics from "from wxPython import *" to "from
 235 wxPython.wx import *"  This is for people who are worried about
 236 namespace pollution, they can use "from wxPython import wx" and then
 237 prefix all the wxPython identifiers with "wx."
 238
 239 Added wxTaskbarIcon for wxMSW.
 240
 241 Made the events work for wxGrid.
 242
 243 Added wxConfig.
 244
 245 Added wxMiniFrame for wxGTK.
 246
 247 Changed many of the args and return values that were pointers to gdi
 248 objects to references to reflect changes in the wxWindows API.
 249
 250 Other assorted fixes and additions.
 251
 252
 253
 254
 255 What's new in 0.4.2
 256 -------------------
 257
 258 wxPython on wxGTK works!!!  Both dynamic and static on Linux and
 259 static on Solaris have been tested.  Many thanks go to Harm
 260 <H.v.d.Heijden@phys.tue.nl> for his astute detective work on tracking
 261 down a nasty DECREF bug.  Okay so I have to confess that it was just a
 262 DSM (Dumb Stupid Mistake) on my part but it was nasty none the less
 263 because the behavior was so different on different platforms.
 264
 265 The dynamicly loaded module on Solaris is still segfaulting, so it
 266 must have been a different issue all along...
 267
 268
 269
 270 What's New in 0.4
 271 -----------------
 272
 273 1. Worked on wxGTK compatibility.  It is partially working.  On a
 274 Solaris/Sparc box wxPython is working but only when it is statically
 275 linked with the Python interpreter.  When built as a dyamically loaded
 276 extension module, things start acting weirdly and it soon seg-faults.
 277 And on Linux both the statically linked and the dynamically linked
 278 version segfault shortly after starting up.
 279
 280 2. Added Toolbar, StatusBar and SplitterWindow classes.
 281
 282 3. Varioius bug fixes, enhancements, etc.
 283
 284 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 285
 286
 287
 288 Build Instructions
 289 ------------------
 290 I used SWIG (http://www.swig.org) to create the source code for the
 291 extension module.  This enabled me to only have to deal with a small
 292 amount of code and only have to bother with the exceptional issues.
 293 SWIG takes care of the rest and generates all the repetative code for
 294 me.  You don't need SWIG to build the extension module as all the
 295 generated C++ code is included under the src directory.
 296
 297 I added a few minor features to SWIG to control some of the code
 298 generation.  If you want to playaround with this the patches are in
 299 wxPython/SWIG.patches and they should be applied to the 1.1p5 version
 300 of SWIG.  These new patches are documented at
 301 http://starship.skyport.net/crew/robind/#swig, and they should also
 302 end up in the 1.2 version of SWIG.
 303
 304 wxPython is organized as a Python package.  This means that the
 305 directory containing the results of the build process should be a
 306 subdirectory of a directory on the PYTHONPATH.  (And preferably should
 307 be named wxPython.)  You can control where the build process will dump
 308 wxPython by setting the TARGETDIR makefile variable.  The default is
 309 $(WXWIN)/utils/wxPython, where this README.txt is located.  If you
 310 leave it here then you should add $(WXWIN)/utils to your PYTHONPATH.
 311 However, you may prefer to use something that is already on your
 312 PYTHONPATH, such as the site-packages directory on Unix systems.
 313
 314
 315 Win32
 316 -----
 317
 318 1. Build wxWindows with wxUSE_RESOURCE_LOADING_IN_MSW set to 1 in
 319 include/wx/msw/setup.h so icons can be loaded dynamically.  While
 320 there, make sure wxUSE_OWNER_DRAWN is also set to 1.
 321
 322 2. Change into the $(WXWIN)/utils/wxPython/src directory.
 323
 324 3. Edit makefile.vc and specify where your python installation is at.
 325 You may also want to fiddle with the TARGETDIR variable as described
 326 above.
 327
 328 4. Run nmake -f makefile.vc
 329
 330 5. If it builds successfully, congratulations!  Move on to the next
 331 step.  If not then you can try mailing me for help.  Also, I will
 332 always have a pre-built win32 version of this extension module at
 333 http://alldunn.com/wxPython/.
 334
 335 6. Change to the $(WXWIN)/utils/wxPython/demo directory.
 336
 337 7. Try executing the demo program.  For example:
 338
 339     python demo.py
 340
 341 To run it without requiring a console, you can use the pythonw.exe
 342 version of Python either from the command line or from a shortcut.
 343
 344
 345
 346 Unix
 347 ----
 348 0. I configure wxWindows like this, YMMV:
 349
 350 ./configure  --with-gtk --disable-shared --enable-threads --disable-unicode
 351
 352 1. Change into the $(WXWIN)/utils/wxPython/src directory.
 353
 354 2. Edit Setup.in and ensure that the flags, directories, and toolkit
 355 options are correct.  See the above commentary about TARGETDIR.  There
 356 are a few sample Setup.in.[platform] files provided.
 357
 358 3. Run this command to generate a makefile:
 359
 360     make -f Makefile.pre.in boot
 361
 362 4. Run these commands to build and then install the wxPython extension
 363 module:
 364
 365     make
 366     make install
 367
 368
 369 5. Change to the $(WXWIN)/utils/wxPython/demo directory.
 370
 371 6. Try executing the demo program.  For example:
 372
 373     python demo.py
 374
 375 ----------------
 376 Robin Dunn
 377 robin@alldunn.com
 378
 379
 380