Wxpython in Action

by Rappin, Noel

• ISBN13: 9781932394627
• ISBN10: 1932394621
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-03-28
• Publisher: Manning Pubns Co

Summary

Co-authored by the toolkit's developer Robin Dunn, wxPython in Action is the only published source for the wxPython toolkit. This complete resource offers many useful features for learning and using wxPython's objects, including a reference, a tutorial, and many unique examples of working wxPython code. The book is based on real answers to real questions about how each object is used. It shows readers why wxPython is a better interface tool than Tkinter, the tool that is distributed with Python.

Author Biography

Noel Rappin is a senior software engineer at Motorola and a leading Python practitioner

Table of Contents

preface	xix
acknowledgments	xxii
about this book	xxiv
Part 1 Introduction To Wxpython
Welcome to wxPython	3	(26)
Getting started with wxPython	5	(2)
Creating the bare-minimum wxPython program	7	(5)
Importing wxPython	9	(2)
Working with applications and frames	11	(1)
Extending the bare-minimum wxPython program	12	(3)
Creating the final hello.py program	15	(2)
What can wxPython do?	17	(2)
Why choose wxPython?	19	(2)
Python programmers	19	(1)
wxWidget users	20	(1)
New users	20	(1)
How wxPython works	21	(6)
The Python language	21	(1)
The wxWidgets toolkit	22	(3)
Putting it together: the wxPython toolkit	25	(2)
Summary	27	(2)
Giving your wxPython program a solid foundation	29	(27)
What do I need to know about the required objects?	30	(1)
How do I create and use an application object?	31	(4)
Creating a wx.App subclass	31	(3)
Understanding the application object lifecycle	34	(1)
How do I direct output from a wxPython program?	35	(3)
Redirecting output	35	(2)
Modifying the default redirect behavior	37	(1)
How do I shut down my wxPython application?	38	(1)
Managing a normal shutdown	38	(1)
Managing an emergency shutdown	39	(1)
How do I create and use the top-level window object?	39	(8)
Working with wx.Frame	40	(2)
Working with wxPython IDs	42	(1)
Working with wx.Size and wx.Point	43	(1)
Working with wx.Frame styles	44	(3)
How do I add objects and subwindows to a frame?	47	(4)
Adding widgets to a frame	47	(2)
Adding a menubar, toolbar, or status bar to a frame	49	(2)
How can I use common dialogs?	51	(2)
What are some common errors with application objects and frames?	53	(1)
Summary	54	(2)
Working in an event-driven environment	56	(27)
What terminology do I need to understand events?	57	(1)
What is event-driven programming?	58	(5)
Coding event handlers	60	(1)
Designing for event-driven programs	61	(1)
Event triggers	62	(1)
How do I bind an event to a handler?	63	(5)
Working with the wx.EvtHandler methods	65	(3)
How are events processed by wxPython?	68	(9)
Understanding the event handling process	69	(6)
Using the Skip() method	75	(2)
What other event properties are contained in the application object?	77	(1)
How can I create my own events?	77	(4)
Defining a custom event for a custom widget	78	(3)
Summary	81	(2)
Making wxPython easier to handle with PyCrust	83	(33)
How do I interact with a wxPython program?	84	(2)
What are the useful features of PyCrust?	86	(9)
Autocompletion	87	(1)
Calltips and parameter defaults	88	(1)
Syntax highlighting	89	(1)
Python help	90	(1)
Command recall	91	(1)
Cut and paste	92	(1)
Standard shell environment	93	(1)
Dynamic updating	94	(1)
What do the PyCrust notebook tabs do?	95	(4)
Namespace tab	95	(2)
Display tab	97	(1)
Calltip tab	97	(1)
Session tab	98	(1)
Dispatcher tab	98	(1)
How can I wrap PyCrust around my wxPython application?	99	(5)
What else is in the Py package?	104	(8)
Working with the GUI programs	104	(1)
Working with the support modules	105	(7)
How can I use modules from the Py package in my wxPython programs?	112	(3)
Summary	115	(1)
Creating your blueprint	116	(30)
How can refactoring help me improve my code?	117	(9)
A refactoring example	118	(3)
Starting to refactor	121	(1)
More refactoring	122	(4)
How do I keep the Model and View separate in my program?	126	(14)
What is a Model-View-Controller system?	126	(2)
A wxPython model: PyGridTableBase	128	(8)
A custom model	136	(4)
How do you unit-test a GUI program?	140	(5)
The unittest module	140	(1)
A unittest sample	141	(2)
Testing user events	143	(2)
Summary	145	(1)
Working with the basic building blocks	146	(37)
Drawing to the screen	148	(7)
How do I draw on the screen?	148	(7)
Adding window decorations	155	(10)
How do I add and update a status bar?	155	(3)
How do I include a submenu or checked menu?	158	(3)
How do I include a toolbar?	161	(4)
Getting standard information	165	(5)
How do I use standard file dialogs?	165	(4)
How do I use a standard color picker?	169	(1)
Making the application look nice	170	(11)
How do I lay out widgets?	170	(8)
How do I build an about box?	178	(2)
How do I build a splash screen?	180	(1)
Summary	181	(2)
Part 2 Essential Wxpython	183	(208)
Working with the basic controls	185	(39)
Displaying text	186	(13)
How do I display static text?	186	(3)
How can I get the user to enter text?	189	(3)
How do I change the text without user input?	192	(1)
How do I create a multi-line or styled text control?	193	(3)
How do I create a font?	196	(1)
Can I have styled text if my platform doesn't support rich text?	197	(1)
What if my text control doesn't match my string?	198	(1)
How do I respond to text events?	199	(1)
Working with buttons	199	(6)
How do I make a button?	200	(1)
How do I make a button with a bitmap?	201	(1)
How do I create a toggle button?	202	(1)
What's a generic button, and why should I use one?	203	(2)
Entering and displaying numbers	205	(6)
How do I make a slider?	205	(3)
How can I get those neat up/down arrow buttons?	208	(2)
How can I make a progress bar?	210	(1)
Giving the user choices	211	(11)
How do I create a checkbox?	211	(1)
How can I create a group of radio buttons?	212	(4)
How can I create a list box?	216	(3)
Can I combine a checkbox and a list box?	219	(1)
What if I want a pull-down choice?	220	(1)
Can I combine text entry and a list?	221	(1)
Summary	222	(2)
Putting widgets in frames	224	(34)
The life of a frame	225	(9)
How do I create a frame?	225	(2)
What are some different frame styles?	227	(3)
How do I create a frame with extra style information?	230	(2)
What happens when I close a frame?	232	(2)
Using frames	234	(8)
What are the methods and properties of wx.Frame?	234	(3)
How do I find a subwidget of a frame?	237	(1)
How do I create a frame with a scrollbar?	238	(4)
Alternative frame types	242	(8)
How do I create an MDI frame?	242	(2)
What's a mini-frame and why would I use it?	244	(1)
How do I make a non-rectangular frame?	245	(3)
How can I drag a frame without a title bar?	248	(2)
Using splitter windows	250	(6)
Creating a splitter window	250	(1)
A splitter example	251	(2)
Changing the appearance of the splitter	253	(1)
Manipulating the splitter programmatically	254	(1)
Responding to splitter events	255	(1)
Summary	256	(2)
Giving users choices with dialogs	258	(35)
Working with modal dialogs	259	(10)
How do I create a modal dialog?	259	(2)
How do I create an alert box?	261	(3)
How do I get short text from the user?	264	(2)
How can I display a list of choices in a dialog?	266	(1)
How can I display progress?	267	(2)
Using standard dialogs	269	(9)
How can I use a file picker?	269	(4)
How can I use a font picker?	273	(2)
How can I use a color picker?	275	(2)
Can I allow the user to browse images?	277	(1)
Creating a wizard	278	(3)
Showing startup tips	281	(1)
Using validators to manage data in a dialog	282	(9)
How do I use a validator to ensure correct data?	282	(4)
How do I use a validator to transfer data?	286	(2)
How do I validate data as it is entered?	288	(3)
Summary	291	(2)
Creating and using wxPython menus	293	(30)
Creating Menus	294	(9)
How do I create a menu bar and attach it to a frame?	295	(1)
How do I create a menu and attach it to the menu bar?	295	(2)
How do I add items to a pull-down menu?	297	(4)
How do I respond to a menu event?	301	(2)
Working with menu items	303	(10)
How do I find a specific menu item in a menu?	303	(3)
How do I enable or disable a menu item?	306	(1)
How do I associate a menu item with a keyboard shortcut?	307	(4)
How do I create a toggle menu item with a checkbox or radio button?	311	(2)
Sprucing up your menus	313	(6)
How do I create a submenu?	313	(2)
How do I create a pop-up menu?	315	(2)
How can I create fancier menus?	317	(2)
Usability guidelines for menus	319	(2)
Keeping menus uniform in length	319	(1)
Creating logical item groups	319	(2)
Summary	321	(2)
Placing widgets with sizers	323	(33)
What's a sizer?	324	(2)
Basic sizers with the grid sizer	326	(11)
What is a grid sizer?	327	(2)
How do you add or remove children from a sizer?	329	(2)
How do sizers manage the size and alignment of their children?	331	(3)
Can I specify a minimum size for my sizer or its children?	334	(2)
How do sizers manage the border around each child?	336	(1)
Using the other sizer types	337	(13)
What's a flex grid sizer?	337	(4)
What's a grid bag sizer?	341	(4)
What's a box sizer?	345	(4)
What's a static box sizer?	349	(1)
Can I see a real-world example of sizers in action?	350	(4)
Summary	354	(2)
Manipulating basic graphical images	356	(35)
Working with images	357	(10)
How do I load images?	357	(4)
What can I do with an image?	361	(3)
How can I change cursors?	364	(3)
Dealing with device contexts	367	(14)
What is a device context, and how can I create one?	367	(4)
How do I draw to a device context?	371	(5)
How do I draw images to the context?	376	(3)
How can I draw text to the context?	379	(2)
Graphics manipulation	381	(7)
How do I manage the foreground drawing pen?	381	(3)
How do I manage the background drawing brush?	384	(1)
How can I manage logical and physical device coordinates?	385	(2)
What color names are predefined?	387	(1)
Summary	388	(3)
Part 3 Advanced Wxpython	391	(154)
Building list controls and managing items	393	(32)
Building a list control	394	(6)
What is icon mode?	394	(1)
What is small icon mode?	395	(1)
What is list mode?	396	(1)
What is report mode?	397	(1)
How do I create a list control?	398	(2)
Managing items in a list	400	(5)
What is an image list and how do I add images to it?	400	(2)
How can I add and delete items from a list?	402	(3)
Responding to users	405	(6)
How can I respond to a user selection in a list?	405	(2)
How can I respond to a user selection in a column header?	407	(4)
Editing and sorting list controls	411	(9)
How can I edit a label?	411	(2)
How can I sort my list?	413	(3)
How can I learn more about list controls?	416	(4)
Creating a virtual list control	420	(3)
Summary	423	(2)
Coordinating the grid control	425	(35)
Creating your grid	426	(6)
How do I create a simple grid?	426	(3)
How do I create a grid with a grid table?	429	(3)
Working with your grid	432	(13)
How do I add and delete rows, columns, and cells?	432	(1)
How do I manage the row and column headers of a grid?	433	(3)
How can I manage the size of grid elements?	436	(4)
How can I manage which cells are selected or visible?	440	(2)
How do I change the color or font of a grid cell?	442	(3)
Custom renderers and editors	445	(10)
How do I use a custom cell renderer?	445	(4)
How do I edit a cell?	449	(1)
How do I use a custom cell editor?	450	(5)
Capturing user events	455	(3)
How can I capture user mouse selections?	455	(2)
How can I capture user keyboard navigation?	457	(1)
Summary	458	(2)
Climbing the tree control	460	(25)
Creating tree controls and adding items	461	(4)
How do I add a root?	463	(1)
How do I add more items to the tree?	463	(1)
How do I manage items?	464	(1)
What styles control the display of the tree control?	465	(2)
Sorting elements of a tree control	467	(1)
Controlling the image for each item	468	(3)
Navigating the tree programmatically	471	(1)
Managing the tree selection	472	(1)
Controlling which items are visible	473	(4)
Making a tree control user editable	477	(1)
Responding to other user events from a tree control	478	(2)
Using a tree list control	480	(2)
Summary	482	(3)
Incorporating HTML into your application	485	(19)
Displaying HTML	486	(4)
How can I display HTML in a wxPython window?	486	(2)
How can I display HTML from a file or URL?	488	(2)
Manipulating the HTML window	490	(6)
How can I respond to a user click on an active link?	490	(1)
How can I change an HTML window programmatically?	491	(2)
How can I display the page title in a frame's title bar?	493	(2)
How can I print an HTML page?	495	(1)
Extending the HTML window	496	(7)
How does the HTML parser work?	496	(2)
How can I add support for new tags?	498	(3)
How can I support other file formats?	501	(1)
How can I get a more fully featured HTML Widget?	502	(1)
Summary	503	(1)
The wxPython printing framework	504	(17)
How do I print in wxPython?	505	(7)
Understanding the printout lifecycle	506	(1)
Print framework in action	507	(4)
Working with wx.Printout methods	511	(1)
How do I display the print dialog?	512	(3)
Creating a print dialog	512	(3)
How do I display the page setup dialog?	515	(3)
Creating a page setup dialog	515	(1)
Working with page setup properties	516	(2)
How do I print something?	518	(1)
How can I perform a print preview?	519	(1)
Summary	520	(1)
Using other wxPython functionality	521	(24)
Putting objects on the clipboard	522	(5)
Getting data in the clipboard	522	(1)
Manipulating data in the clipboard	523	(1)
Retrieving text data from the clipboard	524	(1)
The clipboard in action	524	(2)
Passing other data formats	526	(1)
Being the source of a drag and drop	527	(3)
Dragging in action	529	(1)
Being the target of a drag and drop	530	(4)
Using your drop target	531	(2)
Dropping in action	533	(1)
Transferring custom objects	534	(2)
Transferring a custom data object	534	(1)
Retrieving a custom object	535	(1)
Transferring an object in multiple formats	535	(1)
Setting timed events using wx.Timer	536	(3)
Generating EVT_TIMER events	536	(3)
Learning other timer uses	539	(1)
Creating a multithreaded wxPython application	539	(5)
Working with the global function wx.CallAfter()	540	(3)
Managing thread communication with the queue object	543	(1)
Developing your own solution	543	(1)
Summary	544	(1)
index	545