This document will help explain some of the major changes in wxPython 2.5 and let you know what you need to do to adapt your programs to -those changes. Be sure to also check in the CHANGES.txt file like +those changes. Be sure to also check in the CHANGES file like usual to see info about the not so major changes and other things that have been added to wxPython.
+The wxWindows project and library is now known as +wxWidgets. Please see here for more details.
+This won't really affect wxPython all that much, other than the fact +that the wxwindows.org domain name will be changing to wxwidgets.org, +so mail list, CVS, and etc. addresses will be changing. We're going +to try and smooth the transition as much as possible, but I wanted you +all to be aware of this change if you run into any issues.
+The import-startup-bootstrap process employed by wxPython was changed -such that wxWindows and the underlying gui toolkit are not +such that wxWidgets and the underlying gui toolkit are not initialized until the wx.App object is created (but before wx.App.OnInit is called.) This was required because of some changes that were made to the C++ wxApp class.
@@ -30,9 +40,9 @@ now be the GUI thread instead of the one that imports wxPython. Some potential problems are that the C++ side of the "stock-objects" (wx.BLUE_PEN, wx.TheColourDatabase, etc.) are not initialized until the wx.App object is created, so you should not use them until after -you have created your wx.App object. (In fact, until I find a better -solution trying to use one of the stock objects before the app is -created will probably result in a crash.) +you have created your wx.App object. If you do then an exception will +be raised telling you that the C++ object has not been initialized +yet.Also, you will probably not be able to do any kind of GUI or bitmap operation unless you first have created an app object, (even on Windows where most anything was possible before.)
@@ -68,7 +78,7 @@ need to change it to isinstance(obj, wxFoo).All of the EVT_* functions are now instances of the wx.PyEventBinder class. They have a __call__ method so they can still be used as functions like before, but making them instances adds some -flexibility.
+flexibility that I expect to take advantave of in the future.wx.EvtHandler (the base class for wx.Window) now has a Bind method that makes binding events to windows a little easier. Here is its definition and docstring:
@@ -100,14 +110,34 @@ def Bind(self, event, handler, source=None, id=wxID_ANY, id2=wxID_ANY):self.Bind(wx.EVT_SIZE, self.OnSize) self.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.OnButtonClick, theButton) -self.Bind(wx.EVT_MENU, self.OnExit, id=ID_EXIT) +self.Bind(wx.EVT_MENU, self.OnExit, id=wx.ID_EXIT) ++
The wx.Menu methods that add items to a wx.Menu have been modified +such that they return a reference to the wx.MenuItem that was created. +Additionally menu items and toolbar items have been modified to +automatically generate a new ID if -1 is given, similar to using -1 +with window classess. This means that you can create menu or toolbar +items and event bindings without having to predefine a unique menu ID, +although you still can use IDs just like before if you want. For +example, these are all equivallent other than their specific ID +values:
++1. + item = menu.Append(-1, "E&xit", "Terminate the App") + self.Bind(wx.EVT_MENU, self.OnExit, item) + +2. + item = menu.Append(wx.ID_EXIT, "E&xit", "Terminate the App") + self.Bind(wx.EVT_MENU, self.OnExit, item) + +3. + menu.Append(wx.ID_EXIT, "E&xit", "Terminate the App") + self.Bind(wx.EVT_MENU, self.OnExit, id=wx.ID_EXIT)-
I hope to be able to remove the need for using IDs even for menu -events too...
If you create your own custom event types and EVT_* functions, and you want to be able to use them with the Bind method above then you should change your EVT_* to be an instance of wxPyEventBinder instead of a -function. If you used to have something like this:
+function. For example, if you used to have something like this:myCustomEventType = wxNewEventType() def EVT_MY_CUSTOM_EVENT(win, id, func): @@ -115,8 +145,8 @@ def EVT_MY_CUSTOM_EVENT(win, id, func):
Change it like so:
-myCustomEventType = wxNewEventType() -EVT_MY_CUSTOM_EVENT = wxPyEventBinder(myCustomEventType, 1) +myCustomEventType = wx.NewEventType() +EVT_MY_CUSTOM_EVENT = wx.PyEventBinder(myCustomEventType, 1)
The second parameter is an integer in [0, 1, 2] that specifies the number of IDs that are needed to be passed to Connect.
@@ -136,8 +166,8 @@ wxWindow = wx.core.WindowDon't let the "core" in the name bother you. That and some other modules are implementation details, and everything that was in the -wxPython.wx before will still be in the wx package namespace after -this change. So from your code you would use it as wx.Window.
+wxPython.wx module before will still be in the wx package namespace +after this change. So from your code you would use it as wx.Window.A few notes about how all of this was accomplished might be interesting... SWIG is now run twice for each module that it is generating code for. The first time it outputs an XML representaion @@ -151,6 +181,32 @@ uses the %rename directives that were generated in the first step.
Not every name is handled correctly (but the bulk of them are) and so some work has to be done by hand, especially for the reverse-renamers. So expect a few flaws here and there until everything gets sorted out.
+In summary, the wx package and names without the "wx" prefix are now +the official form of the wxPython classes. For example:
++import wx + +class MyFrame(wx.Frame): + def __init__(self, parent, title): + wx.Frame.__init__(self, parent, -1, title) + p = wx.Panel(self, -1) + b = wx.Button(p, -1, "Do It", (10,10)) + self.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.JustDoIt, b) + + def JustDoIt(self, evt): + print "It's done!" + +app = wx.PySimpleApp() +f = MyFrame(None, "What's up?") +f.Show() +app.MainLoop() ++
You shouldn't need to migrate all your modules over to use the new +package and names right away as there are modules in place that try to +provide as much backwards compatibility of the names as possible. If +you rewrote the above sample using "from wxPython.wx import * ", the +old wxNames, and the old style of event binding it will still work +just fine.
For various reasons the new Type A methods in wx.DC were never added -and the existing Type B methods renamed. Now that lots of other -things are also changing in wxPython that it has been decided that it -is a good time to also do the method renaming in wx.DC too, in order +and the existing Type B methods were never renamed. Now that lots +of other things are also changing in wxPython it has been decided that +it is a good time to also do the method renaming in wx.DC too in order to be consistent with the rest of the library. The methods in wx.DC that are affected are listed here:
@@ -228,29 +284,45 @@ BlitXY(xdest, ydest, width, height, sourceDC, xsrc, ysrc,
rop = wxCOPY, useMask = FALSE, xsrcMask = -1, ysrcMask = -1)
Blit(destPt, size, sourceDC, srcPt,
rop = wxCOPY, useMask = FALSE, srcPtMask = wx.DefaultPosition)
+
+SetClippingRegionXY(x, y, width, height)
+SetClippingRegion(point, size)
+SetClippingRect(rect)
+SetClippingRegionAsRegion(region);
-If you have code that draws on a DC you will get errors because of -these changes, but it should be easy to fix the code. You can either -change the name of the Type B method called as shown above, or just -add parentheses around the parameters as needed to turn them into -tuples and let the SWIG typemaps turn them into the wx.Point or -wx.Size object that is expected. For example, if you had this code -before:
+If you have code that draws on a DC and you are using the new wx +namespace then you will get errors because of these changes, but +it should be easy to fix the code. You can either change the name of +the Type B method called to the names shown above, or just add +parentheses around the parameters as needed to turn them into tuples +and let the SWIG typemaps turn them into the wx.Point or wx.Size +object that is expected. Then you will be calling the new Type A +method. For example, if you had this code before:
dc.DrawRectangle(x, y, width, height)-
You could just change it like this:
+You could either continue to use the Type B method by changing the +name to DrawRectangleXY, or just change it to the new Type A by +adding some parentheses like this:
dc.DrawRectangle((x, y), (width, height))-
Or if you were already using a point and size:
+Or if you were already using a point and size like this:
dc.DrawRectangle(p.x, p.y, s.width, s.height)-
Then you can just change it like this:
+Then you can just simplify it like this:
dc.DrawRectangle(p, s)+
Now before you start yelling and screaming at me for breaking all your +code, take note that up above I said, "...using the new wx namespace..." +That's because if you are still importing from wxPython.wx then there +are some classes defined there with Draw and etc. methods that have +2.4 compatible signatures. However if/when the old wxPython.wx +namespace is removed then these classes will be removed too so you +should plan on migrating to the new namespace and new DC Draw methods +before that time.
The wxPython.h and other header files are now in -.../wxPython/include/wx/wxPython instead of in wxPython/src. You should -include it via the "wx/wxPython/wxPython.h" path and add -.../wxPython/include to your list of include paths. [[TODO: Install -these headers on Linux...]]
+.../wxPython/include/wx/wxPython instead of in wxPython/src. You +should include it via the "wx/wxPython/wxPython.h" path and add +.../wxPython/include to your list of include paths. On OSX and +unix-like systems the wxPython headers are installed to the same place +that the wxWidgets headers are installed, so if you are building +wxPython compatible extensions on those platforms then your include +path should already be set properly. +If you are also using SWIG for your extension then you'll need to +adapt how the wxPython .i files are imported into your .i files. See +the wxPython sources for examples. Your modules will need to at least +%import core.i, and possibly others if you need the definition of +other classes. Since you will need them to build your modules using +SWIG, the main wxPython .i files are also installed with the wxPython +headers in an i_files sibdirectory. It should be enough to pass a +-I/pathname on the command line for SWIG to find the files.
+The bulk of wxPython's setup.py has been moved to another module, +wx/build/config.py. This module will be installed as part of wxPython +so 3rd party modules that wish to use the same setup/configuration +code can do so simply by importing this module from their own setup.py +scripts using import wx.build.config.
You no longer need to call wxClassInfo::CleanUpClasses() and wxClassInfo::InitializeClasses() in your extensions or when embedding wxPython.
+The usage of wxPyBeginAllowThreads and wxPyEndAllowThreads has changed +slightly. wxPyBeginAllowThreads now returns a boolean value that must +be passed to the coresponding wxPyEndAllowThreads function call. This +is to help do the RightThing when calls to these two functions are +nested, or if calls to external code in other extension modules that +are wrapped in the standard Py_(BEGIN|END)_ALLOW_THERADS may result in +wx event handlers being called (such as during the call to +os.startfile.)
+If you use the Precreate/Create method of instantiating a window, (for +example, to set an extended style flag, or for XRC handlers) then +there is now a new method named PostCreate to help with transplanting +the brain of the prewindow instance into the derived window instance. +For example:
++class MyDialog(wx.Dialog): + def __init__(self, parent, ID, title, pos, size, style): + pre = wx.PreDialog() + pre.SetExtraStyle(wx.DIALOG_EX_CONTEXTHELP) + pre.Create(parent, ID, title, pos, size, style) + self.PostCreate(pre) ++
The hack allowing the old "option" keyword parameter has been removed. +If you use keyword args with w.xSizer Add, Insert, or Prepend methods +then you will need to use the proportion name instead of option.
+When adding a spacer to a sizer you now need to use a wx.Size or a +2-integer sequence instead of separate width and height parameters.
+The wx.GridBagSizer class (very similar to the RowColSizer in the +library) has been added to C++ and wrapped for wxPython. It can also +be used from XRC.
+You should not use AddWindow, AddSizer, AddSpacer (and similar for +Insert, Prepend, and etc.) methods any longer. Just use Add and the +wrappers will figure out what to do.
+Added wx.PlatformInfo which is a tuple containing strings that +describe the platform and build options of wxPython. This lets you +know more about the build than just the __WXPORT__ value that +wx.Platform contains, such as if it is a GTK2 build. For example, +instead of:
++if wx.Platform == "__WXGTK__": + ... ++
you should do this:
++if "__WXGTK__" in wx.PlatformInfo: + ... ++
and you can specifically check for a wxGTK2 build by looking for +"gtk2" in wx.PlatformInfo. Unicode builds are also detectable this +way. If there are any other platform/toolkit/build flags that make +sense to add to this tuple please let me know.
+BTW, wx.Platform will probably be deprecated in the future.
+Lindsay Mathieson's newest wxActiveX class has been wrapped into a new +extension module called wx.activex. It is very generic and dynamic +and should allow hosting of arbitray ActiveX controls within your +wxPython apps. So far I've tested it with IE, PDF, and Flash +controls, (and there are new samples in the demo and also library +modules supporting these.)
+The new wx.activex module contains a bunch of code, but the most +important things to look at are ActiveXWindow and ActiveXEvent. +ActiveXWindow derives from wxWindow and the constructor accepts a +CLSID for the ActiveX Control that should be created. (There is also +a CLSID class that can convert from a progID or a CLSID String.) The +ActiveXWindow class simply adds methods that allow you to query some +of the TypeInfo exposed by the ActiveX object, and also to get/set +properties or call methods by name. The Python implementation +automatically handles converting parameters and return values to/from +the types expected by the ActiveX code as specified by the TypeInfo, +(just bool, integers, floating point, strings and None/Empty so far, +but more can be handled later.)
+That's pretty much all there is to the class, as I mentioned before it +is very generic and dynamic. Very little is hard-coded and everything +that is done with the actual ActiveX control is done at runtime and +referenced by property or method name. Since Python is such a dynamic +language this is a very good match. I thought for a while about doing +some Python black-magic and making the specific methods/properties of +the actual ActiveX control "appear" at runtime, but then decided that +it would be better and more understandable to do it via subclassing. +So there is a utility class in wx.activex that given an existing +ActiveXWindow instance can generate a .py module containing a derived +class with real methods and properties that do the Right Thing to +reflect those calls to the real ActiveX control. There is also a +script/tool module named genaxmodule that given a CLSID or progID and +a class name, will generate the module for you. There are a few +examples of the output of this tool in the wx.lib package, see +iewin.py, pdfwin.py and flashwin.py.
+Currently the genaxmodule tool will tweak some of the names it +generates, but this can be controled if you would like to do it +differently by deriving your own class from GernerateAXModule, +overriding some methods and then using this class from a tool like +genaxmodule. [TODO: make specifying a new class on genaxmodule's +command-line possible.] The current default behavior is that any +event names that start with "On" will have the "On" dropped, property +names are converted to all lower case, and if any name is a Python +keyword it will have an underscore appended to it. GernerateAXModule +does it's best when generating the code in the new module, but it can +only be as good as the TypeInfo data available from the ActiveX +control so sometimes some tweaking will be needed. For example, the +IE web browser control defines the Flags parameter of the Navigate2 +method as required, but MSDN says it is optional.
+It is intended that this new wx.activex module will replace both the +older version of Lindsay's code available in iewin.IEHtmlWindow, and +also the wx.lib.activexwraper module. Probably the biggest +differences you'll ecounter in migrating activexwrapper-based code +(besides events working better without causing deadlocks) is that +events are no longer caught by overriding methods in your derived +class. Instead ActiveXWindow uses the wx event system and you bind +handlers for the ActiveX events exactly the same way you do for any wx +event. There is just one extra step needed and that is creating an +event ID from the ActiveX event name, and if you use the genaxmodule +tool then this extra step will be handled for you there. For example, +for the StatusTextChange event in the IE web browser control, this +code is generated for you:
+
+wxEVT_StatusTextChange = wx.activex.RegisterActiveXEvent('StatusTextChange')
+EVT_StatusTextChange = wx.PyEventBinder(wxEVT_StatusTextChange, 1)
+
+and you would use it in your code like this:
++self.Bind(iewin.EVT_StatusTextChange, self.UpdateStatusText, self.ie) ++
When the event happens and your event handler function is called the +event properties from the ActiveX control (if any) are converted to +attributes of the event object passed to the handler. (Can you say +'event' any more times in a single sentence? ;-) ) For example the +StatusTextChange event will also send the text that should be put into +the status line as an event parameter named "Text" and you can access +it your handlers as an attribute of the event object like this:
++def UpdateStatusText(self, evt): + self.SetStatusText(evt.Text) ++
Usually these event object attributes should be considered read-only, +but some will be defined by the TypeInfo as output parameters. In +those cases if you modify the event object's attribute then that value +will be returned to the ActiveX control. For example, to prevent a +new window from being opened by the IE web browser control you can do +this in the handler for the iewin.EVT_NewWindow2 event:
++def OnNewWindow2(self, evt): + evt.Cancel = True ++
So how do you know what methods, events and properties that an ActiveX +control supports? There is a funciton in wx.activex named GetAXInfo +that returns a printable summary of the TypeInfo from the ActiveX +instance passed in. You can use this as an example of how to browse +the TypeInfo provided, and there is also a copy of this function's +output appended as a comment to the modules produced by the +genaxmodule tool. Beyond that you'll need to consult the docs +provided by the makers of the ActiveX control that you are using.
Because of the above, the "internal" module names have changed, but -you shouldn't have been using them anyway so it shouldn't bother -you. ;-)
+Because of the above and also because of the way the new SWIG works, +the "internal" module names have changed, but you shouldn't have been +using them anyway so it shouldn't bother you. ;-)
+The help module no longer exists and the classes therein are now part +of the core module imported with wxPython.wx or the wx package.
+wxPyDefaultPosition and wxPyDefaultSize are gone. Use the +wxDefaultPosition and wxDefaultSize objects instead.
+Similarly, the wxSystemSettings backwards compatibiility aliases for +GetSystemColour, GetSystemFont and GetSystemMetric have also gone into +the bit-bucket. Use GetColour, GetFont and GetMetric instead.
+The wx.NO_FULL_REPAINT_ON_RESIZE style is now the default style for +all windows. The name still exists for compatibility, but it is set +to zero. If you want to disable the setting (so it matches the old +default) then you need to use the new wx.FULL_REPAINT_ON_RESIZE style +flag otherwise only the freshly exposed areas of the window will be +refreshed.
+wxPyTypeCast has been removed. Since we've had the OOR (Original +Object Return) for a couple years now there should be no need to use +wxPyTypeCast at all.
+If you use the old wxPython package and wxPython.wx namespace then +there are compatibility aliases for much of the above items.
+The wxWave class has been renamed to wxSound, and now has a slightly +different API.
+wx.TaskbarIcon works on wxGTK-based platforms now, however you have to +manage it a little bit more than you did before. Basically, the app +will treat it like a top-level frame in that if the wx.TaskBarIcon +still exists when all the frames are closed then the app will still +not exit. You need to ensure that the wx.TaskBarIcon is destroyed +when your last Frame is closed. For wxPython apps it is usually +enough if your main frame object holds the only reference to the +wx.TaskBarIcon, then when the frame is closed Python reference +counting takes care of the rest.
+Before Python 2.3 it was possible to pass a floating point object as a +parameter to a function that expected an integer, and the +PyArg_ParseTuple family of functions would automatically convert to +integer by truncating the fractional portion of the number. With +Python 2.3 that behavior was deprecated and a deprecation warning is +raised when you pass a floating point value, (for example, calling +wx.DC.DrawLineXY with floats for the position and size,) and lots of +developers using wxPython had to scramble to change their code to call +int() before calling wxPython methods. Recent changes in SWIG have +moved the conversion out of PyArg_ParseTuple to custom code that SWIG +generates. Since the default conversion fragment was a little too +strict and didn't generate a very meaningful exception when it failed, +I decided to use a custom fragment instead, and it turned out that +it's very easy to allow floats to be converted again just like they +used to be. So, in a nutshell, any numeric type that can be +converted to an integer is now legal to be passed to SWIG wrapped +functions in wxPython for parameters that are expecting an integer. +If the object is not already an integer then it will be asked to +convert itself to one. A similar conversion fragment is in place for +parameters that expect floating point values.