utils/wxPython/README.txt

   1 wxPython README
   2 ---------------
   3
   4 Welcome to the wonderful world of wxPython!
   5
   6 Now that you have installed the Win32 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
  21
  22 Getting Help
  23 ------------
  24
  25 Since wxPython is a blending of multiple technologies, help comes from
  26 multiple sources.  See the http://alldunn.com/wxPython for details on
  27 various sources of help, but probably the best source is the
  28 wxPython-users mail list.  You can view the archive or subscribe by
  29 going to
  30
  31        http://starship.python.net/mailman/listinfo/wxpython-users
  32
  33 Or you can send mail directly to the list using this address:
  34
  35        wxpython-users@starship.python.net
  36
  37
  38 What's new in 2.0b9
  39 -------------------
  40 Bug fix for ListCtrl in test4.py (Was a missing file...  DSM!)
  41
  42 Bug fix for occassional GPF on Win32 systems upon termination of a
  43 wxPython application.
  44
  45 Added wxListBox.GetSelections returning selections as a Tuple.
  46
  47 Added a wxTreeItemData that is able to hold any Python object and be
  48 associated with items in a wxTreeCtrl.  Added test pytree.py to show
  49 this feature off.
  50
  51 Added wxSafeYield function.
  52
  53 OpenGL Canvas can be optionally compiled in to wxPython.
  54
  55 Awesome new Demo Framework for showing off wxPython and for learning
  56 how it all works.
  57
  58 The pre-built Win32 version is no longer distributing the wxWindows
  59 DLL.  It is statically linked with the wxWindows library instead.
  60
  61 Added a couple missing items from the docs.
  62
  63 Added wxImage, wxImageHandler, wxPNGHandler, wxJPEGHandler,
  64 wxGIFHandler and wxBMPHandler.
  65
  66 Added new methods to wxTextCtrl.
  67
  68 Fixed some problems with how SWIG was wrapping some wxTreeCtrl
  69 methods.
  70
  71
  72
  73 What's new in 2.0b8
  74 -------------------
  75 Support for using Python threads in wxPython apps.
  76
  77 Several missing methods from various classes.
  78
  79 Various bug fixes.
  80
  81
  82
  83 What's new in 2.0b7
  84 -------------------
  85 Added DLG_PNT and DLG_SZE convienience methods to wxWindow class.
  86
  87 Added missing constructor and other methods for wxMenuItem.
  88
  89
  90
  91 What's new in 2.0b6
  92 -------------------
  93 Just a quickie update to fix the self-installer to be compatible with
  94 Python 1.5.2b2's Registry settings.
  95
  96
  97 What's new in 2.0b5
  98 -------------------
  99 Well obviously the numbering scheme has changed.  I did this to
 100 reflect the fact that this truly is the second major revision of
 101 wxPython, (well the third actually if you count the one I did for
 102 wxWindows 1.68 and then threw away...) and also that it is associated
 103 with the 2.0 version of wxWindows.
 104
 105 I have finally started documenting wxPython.  There are several pages
 106 in the wxWindows documentation tree specifically about wxPython, and I
 107 have added notes within the class references about where and how wxPython
 108 diverges from wxWindows.
 109
 110 Added wxWindow_FromHWND(hWnd) for wxMSW to construct a wxWindow from a
 111 window handle.  If you can get the window handle into the python code,
 112 it should just work...  More news on this later.
 113
 114 Added wxImageList, wxToolTip.
 115
 116 Re-enabled wxConfig.DeleteAll() since it is reportedly fixed for the
 117 wxRegConfig class.
 118
 119 As usual, some bug fixes, tweaks, etc.
 120
 121
 122
 123 What's new in 0.5.3
 124 -------------------
 125 Added wxSashWindow, wxSashEvent, wxLayoutAlgorithm, etc.
 126
 127 Various cleanup, tweaks, minor additions, etc. to maintain
 128 compatibility with the current wxWindows.
 129
 130
 131
 132 What's new in 0.5.0
 133 -------------------
 134 Changed the import semantics from "from wxPython import *" to "from
 135 wxPython.wx import *"  This is for people who are worried about
 136 namespace pollution, they can use "from wxPython import wx" and then
 137 prefix all the wxPython identifiers with "wx."
 138
 139 Added wxTaskbarIcon for wxMSW.
 140
 141 Made the events work for wxGrid.
 142
 143 Added wxConfig.
 144
 145 Added wxMiniFrame for wxGTK.
 146
 147 Changed many of the args and return values that were pointers to gdi
 148 objects to references to reflect changes in the wxWindows API.
 149
 150 Other assorted fixes and additions.
 151
 152
 153
 154
 155 What's new in 0.4.2
 156 -------------------
 157
 158 wxPython on wxGTK works!!!  Both dynamic and static on Linux and
 159 static on Solaris have been tested.  Many thanks go to Harm
 160 <H.v.d.Heijden@phys.tue.nl> for his astute detective work on tracking
 161 down a nasty DECREF bug.  Okay so I have to confess that it was just a
 162 DSM (Dumb Stupid Mistake) on my part but it was nasty none the less
 163 because the behavior was so different on different platforms.
 164
 165
 166 The dynamicly loaded module on Solaris is still segfaulting, so it
 167 must have been a different issue all along...
 168
 169
 170
 171 What's New in 0.4
 172 -----------------
 173
 174 1. Worked on wxGTK compatibility.  It is partially working.  On a
 175 Solaris/Sparc box wxPython is working but only when it is statically
 176 linked with the Python interpreter.  When built as a dyamically loaded
 177 extension module, things start acting weirdly and it soon seg-faults.
 178 And on Linux both the statically linked and the dynamically linked
 179 version segfault shortly after starting up.
 180
 181 2. Added Toolbar, StatusBar and SplitterWindow classes.
 182
 183 3. Varioius bug fixes, enhancements, etc.
 184
 185
 186
 187
 188 Build Instructions
 189 ------------------
 190 I used SWIG (http://www.swig.org) to create the source code for the
 191 extension module.  This enabled me to only have to deal with a small
 192 amount of code and only have to bother with the exceptional issues.
 193 SWIG takes care of the rest and generates all the repetative code for
 194 me.  You don't need SWIG to build the extension module as all the
 195 generated C++ code is included under the src directory.
 196
 197 I added a few minor features to SWIG to control some of the code
 198 generation.  If you want to playaround with this the patches are in
 199 wxPython/SWIG.patches and they should be applied to the 1.1p5 version
 200 of SWIG.  These new patches are documented at
 201 http://starship.skyport.net/crew/robind/#swig, and they should also
 202 end up in the 1.2 version of SWIG.
 203
 204 wxPython is organized as a Python package.  This means that the
 205 directory containing the results of the build process should be a
 206 subdirectory of a directory on the PYTHONPATH.  (And preferably should
 207 be named wxPython.)  You can control where the build process will dump
 208 wxPython by setting the TARGETDIR makefile variable.  The default is
 209 $(WXWIN)/utils/wxPython, where this README.txt is located.  If you
 210 leave it here then you should add $(WXWIN)/utils to your PYTHONPATH.
 211 However, you may prefer to use something that is already on your
 212 PYTHONPATH, such as the site-packages directory on Unix systems.
 213
 214
 215 Win32
 216 -----
 217
 218 1. Build wxWindows with wxUSE_RESOURCE_LOADING_IN_MSW set to 1 in
 219 include/wx/msw/setup.h so icons can be loaded dynamically.  While
 220 there, make sure wxUSE_OWNER_DRAWN is also set to 1.
 221
 222 2. Change into the $(WXWIN)/utils/wxPython/src directory.
 223
 224 3. Edit makefile.vc and specify where your python installation is at.
 225 You may also want to fiddle with the TARGETDIR variable as described
 226 above.
 227
 228 4. Run nmake -f makefile.vc
 229
 230 5. If it builds successfully, congratulations!  Move on to the next
 231 step.  If not then you can try mailing me for help.  Also, I will
 232 always have a pre-built win32 version of this extension module at
 233 http://alldunn.com/wxPython/.
 234
 235 6. Change to the $(WXWIN)/utils/wxPython/demo directory.
 236
 237 7. Try executing the demo program.  For example:
 238
 239     python demo.py
 240
 241 To run it without requiring a console, you can use the pythonw.exe
 242 version of Python either from the command line or from a shortcut.
 243
 244
 245
 246 Unix
 247 ----
 248 0. I configure wxWindows like this, YMMV:
 249
 250 ./configure  --with-gtk --without-shared --with-threads --without-unicode --with-libjpeg
 251
 252
 253 1. Change into the $(WXWIN)/utils/wxPython/src directory.
 254
 255 2. Edit Setup.in and ensure that the flags, directories, and toolkit
 256 options are correct.  See the above commentary about TARGETDIR.  There
 257 are a few sample Setup.in.[platform] files provided.
 258
 259 3. Run this command to generate a makefile:
 260
 261     make -f Makefile.pre.in boot
 262
 263 4. Run these commands to build and then install the wxPython extension
 264 module:
 265
 266     make
 267     make install
 268
 269
 270 5. Change to the $(WXWIN)/utils/wxPython/demo directory.
 271
 272 6. Try executing the demo program.  For example:
 273
 274     python demo.py
 275
 276 ----------------
 277 Robin Dunn
 278 robin@alldunn.com
 279
 280
 281