wxPython Phoenix Demo Discussion & Ideas

wxPython Dev
1

wxPython Phoenix Demo Discussion & Ideas
This errm… thread/mail thingy serves as a discussion place for the new wxPython “Phoenix” demo
currently as of June-2013 it is still WIPz

Current Initial Fork:

···

=====================
Metallicow’s GitHub demo WIPz branch
https://github.com/Metallicow/Phoenix/tree/demo

Metallicow’s Github Library Fixes branch
https://github.com/Metallicow/Phoenix/tree/library-branch

First of all, I would like to thank robin for making wxPython
available to everyone.
Thanks.

Now Onward…
Idea1:
I would like to see more than just one demo…

Topic1: Creating New “Official” wxPython Demo
Robin has brought up the idea of creating a new “Official” Demo for project Phoenix…

  • This is great. New Learnings/New Ideas from the lead developer.

Topic2: Porting existing wxPython Demo
I have started a port of the wx2.9.4.0 Demo which will serve as a base demo updated.

  • Update the old demo to phoenix. Clean up whole demo/docs. Add new/missing class demos. Overall provide an example for everything(all options) in demos. Then use as a base for new stuff.
  • Users can also help Robin do this in the meantime, until everything gets worked out “Officially”. Ex: attach small demo here or create fork.

Topic3: Creation of a New wxPython - “Users” Demo
Discussion of a Custom wxPython Demo created by wxPython users for wxPython users. Whatever you what(within reason) under your Ex:username/catagory.

  • May include simple or custom example demos showing basic examples or showcasing users custom widget creation talents.
    Ex: I have ported Eddies’s RoundButton to Phoenix and would like it included in the standard library… since it is licensed under wxPython license this is OK.
    Ex: Port GradientOverlayPanel to Phoenix/Demo. This is one of my custom widgets.
    – users should…create source for the standard wx lib dist and also a create demo showcasing it(actually working).
    -Submitted Demos can also be catagorized as “Just for fun” widgets: Ex:bubble demo, small(ish) tetris/mine game demos, snakey goes wild animation demo.
  • Create a small code base for templates.
  • Improve the Demo Stc Code Editor to be as advanced, but user friendly as possible.
  • Make the demo portable. And by portable I mean works with MSWin, Linux, Mac, etc… natively.

Please state Topic subject# when replying.
Ex:
“”"
RE: Topic1:
… sounds good to me!
“”"

or

“”"
RE: Topic3:
… I’d like this included in the standard lib…
“”"

2

Topic2: WIPz Images of New Demos

http://imageshack.us/a/img109/2641/bannerwindowpreview.png
http://imageshack.us/a/img694/7798/richtooltippreview.png
NotificationMessage doesn’t really need a preview.

image previews of some missing demos.

3

@Robin: Topic2 - Is there any specific reason for having “bitmaps” and “bmp_source” directories? Can these two directories be merged into “images”, organized better as to image catagory and upload my script that creates the whole images.py file in one go?

Also there is still a empty demo/dllwidget directory in the src builds. Saw your commit to get rid of it.

4

Metallicow wrote:

@Robin: Topic2 - Is there any specific reason for having "bitmaps" and
"bmp_source" directories? Can these two directories be merged into
"images", organized better as to image catagory and upload my script
that creates the whole images.py file in one go?

The bmp_source folder is for those that are encoded into images.py, and the bitmaps folder is for those images that are left as normal image files and loaded at runtime.

Also there is still a empty demo/dllwidget directory in the src builds.
Saw your commit to get rid of it.

Thanks, it may be due to how the buildbots update their source trees. I'll check in to that. Is it still present in your git workspace?

···

--
Robin Dunn
Software Craftsman

5

No, not in my git. It came out of the nightly snapshot builds downloads. src download.
http://wxpython.org/Phoenix/snapshot-builds/

I usually check the SVN changelog for what changes might affect updating my widgets in my apps before torture testing the new stuff.
http://wx.ibaku.net/changelog/?t=2

Then download build if interested in droping the new copy into reg 2.8 / 2.9.4 / 2.9.5 circulation site packages and switch wx.pth/phoenix.pth files with a small wxApp.
I just noticed it in the src download and It was empty, that’s all, just a report.

6

One coder’s request for considerations for the wxpydemo:

One primary function of Phoenix, if I remember correctly, is to reduce support workload on Robin and fellows One way to do this is to reduce requests for help in forums. So the demo is a major solution to reducing wxPython coders confusion on the wx API and tools and reduction of bug injection via bad coding strategies. The demos code should reflect this philosophy, meaning “Simple is Better”. I’d say the demo should be less of “what you can do” and more of a “here is how to do it”.

I’d hope the organization of the sub-demos are:

  1. native os widgets (explains what you can and can’t do with them); ie native widgets do not have certain functionality

People forget that the OS has widgets and they are expected to work a certain way (ie not buggy) and wxPython extends some widgets.

  1. non-native os widgets common in wxwidgets and wxPython/Pheonix; these widgets are likely to be updated only on new version releases.

  2. 3rd party widgets in it’s own demo category; allows coders see if there are updated versions (often maintained by the widget dev)

  3. Let the demo allow for other coders to easily submit additional sub-demos (obviously via some approval process) This can help reduce work load because you often see people how to use a widget in a way not currently seen in the demo. After seeing the same question of how to do so-and-so so many times in the forums; sometimes just adding a sub-demo can solve that recurrence.

  4. Crazy idea; It would be nice if in my install of wxPyhon/Pheonix demo; i could attach URLs to howtos to a particular subdemo; such as mailing list forum discussions on the particular widget/solution. Then I can keep track of known bugs; workarounds; alteratives etc. without having to install a fresh version of Phoenix for every bug.

One way to reduce forum posts is to offer source code that lets coders see how to change their code from the “OLD” way to the “NEW” way; Think how the original events were bound wx.EVT_SOMEEVENT(params) changed to self.Bind(wx.EVT_SOMEEVENT, callback, params)

···

On Fri, Jun 14, 2013 at 10:29 PM, Metallicow metaliobovinus@gmail.com wrote:

No, not in my git. It came out of the nightly snapshot builds downloads. src download.
http://wxpython.org/Phoenix/snapshot-builds/

I usually check the SVN changelog for what changes might affect updating my widgets in my apps before torture testing the new stuff.
http://wx.ibaku.net/changelog/?t=2

Then download build if interested in droping the new copy into reg 2.8 / 2.9.4 / 2.9.5 circulation site packages and switch wx.pth/phoenix.pth files with a small wxApp.
I just noticed it in the src download and It was empty, that’s all, just a report.

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7

@Robin/AG

FIXME List:

* Problems with flickering related to ERASE_BACKGROUND

and the splitters. Might be a problem with this 2.5 beta…?

UPDATE: can’t see on 2.5.2 GTK - maybe just a faster machine :slight_smile:

* Demo Code menu?

* Annoying switching between tabs and resulting flicker

how to replace a page in the notebook without deleting/adding?

Where is SetPage!? tried freeze…tried reparent of dummy panel…

AG: It looks like this issue is fixed by Freeze()ing and Thaw()ing the

main frame and not the notebook

TODO List:

* UI design more professional (is the new version more professional?)

* Update main overview

I assume the FIXME list has been fixed and this can be removed from main.py.

I don’t get any flickering with the splitters. Assuming the Aui Pane Splitters… Am I right…?
Assuming the “Demo Code menu” is the implemented Demo menu…? Am I right…?
And looks like the freeze, thaw issue was solved.

About updating the overview… What Ideas did you have for that?

8

Metallicow wrote:

@Robin/AG

    # FIXME List:
    # * Problems with flickering related to ERASE_BACKGROUND
    # and the splitters. Might be a problem with this 2.5 beta...?
    # UPDATE: can't see on 2.5.2 GTK - maybe just a faster machine :slight_smile:
    # * Demo Code menu?
    # * Annoying switching between tabs and resulting flicker
    # how to replace a page in the notebook without deleting/adding?
    # Where is SetPage!? tried freeze...tried reparent of dummy panel....
    # AG: It looks like this issue is fixed by Freeze()ing and Thaw()ing the
    # main frame and not the notebook

    # TODO List:
    # * UI design more professional (is the new version more professional?)
    # * Update main overview

I assume the FIXME list has been fixed and this can be removed from
main.py.

Probably.

About updating the overview... What Ideas did you have for that?

I don't remember. (I'm not even sure I wrote that line)

···

--
Robin Dunn
Software Craftsman

9

I went ahead and snipped it in the branch as a commit. Everything seems to work for me anyway, and besides they seem to be refering to/about older versions. I have just been updating the WIPz.txt with bugs and stuff(not in the main.py).

One other thing to discuss would be the downloading of the new docs and how to implement allow saving them.
Is the overview tab supposed to become a HTML viewer basically…? and snake the info on the fly or attempt to update everything on user approval…?
What Url should be the base URL? Would fetching tutorials from the wiki be a good idea…(Not sure… seems to get alot of spam)?

Anywho…PushREQz is waiting on your review. Here is a screenie running on Python 3.3.2 from the demo and library-branch commits.
http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/1953/d72j.png

···

On Monday, August 5, 2013 11:17:40 AM UTC-5, Robin Dunn wrote:

Metallicow wrote:

I assume the FIXME list has been fixed and this can be removed from

main.py.

Probably.

10

Well, here is a WIPz image.
http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/8995/oj7g.png

  1. A demo that parses the demos for info on these things would work, or a demo that is simple a table stating such info, or a demo that downloads a phoenix special doc page from the web would work for this.
  2. See Reply #1
  3. The 3rd-party packages integration has been fixed. Andrea code had a few mishaps and didn’t quite work except for the first package imported. All demo packages will have an init file in them to make them proper packages from now on. A clone_me package will be the default with install(sheep icon)
  4. I am thinking of making a Github page for such things, which demoDevelopers/Robin can then review packages as either such similar ideas: as pull requests, or a user can submit a download link for package via issues/requests, or just submit a package download link at a particular mailing list thread.
    Part of which will be the user submitting said package to run/save/upload submittion file with “Official” modeline specs. This will be a special feature of the demo editor that will check for obvious cruft, such as trimming trailing whitespace, general style, and cleanup, via run.py modeline so as to save devs the headache of cleaning the cruft out manually.
  5. Crazy Ideas are welcome also… Tho, your particular suggestion, I wouldn’t call over the top. A simple pickle or wx.FileConfig would work fine for this idea. It might be contained to work only a ‘Portable’ version of the demo tho…
···

On Tuesday, June 18, 2013 4:20:05 PM UTC-5, DevPlayer wrote:

One coder’s request for considerations for the wxpydemo:

One primary function of Phoenix, if I remember correctly, is to reduce support workload on Robin and fellows One way to do this is to reduce requests for help in forums. So the demo is a major solution to reducing wxPython coders confusion on the wx API and tools and reduction of bug injection via bad coding strategies. The demos code should reflect this philosophy, meaning “Simple is Better”. I’d say the demo should be less of “what you can do” and more of a “here is how to do it”.

I’d hope the organization of the sub-demos are:

  1. native os widgets (explains what you can and can’t do with them); ie native widgets do not have certain functionality

People forget that the OS has widgets and they are expected to work a certain way (ie not buggy) and wxPython extends some widgets.

  1. non-native os widgets common in wxwidgets and wxPython/Pheonix; these widgets are likely to be updated only on new version releases.
  1. 3rd party widgets in it’s own demo category; allows coders see if there are updated versions (often maintained by the widget dev)
  1. Let the demo allow for other coders to easily submit additional sub-demos (obviously via some approval process) This can help reduce work load because you often see people how to use a widget in a way not currently seen in the demo. After seeing the same question of how to do so-and-so so many times in the forums; sometimes just adding a sub-demo can solve that recurrence.
  1. Crazy idea; It would be nice if in my install of wxPyhon/Pheonix demo; i could attach URLs to howtos to a particular subdemo; such as mailing list forum discussions on the particular widget/solution. Then I can keep track of known bugs; workarounds; alteratives etc. without having to install a fresh version of Phoenix for every bug.

One way to reduce forum posts is to offer source code that lets coders see how to change their code from the “OLD” way to the “NEW” way; Think how the original events were bound wx.EVT_SOMEEVENT(params) changed to self.Bind(wx.EVT_SOMEEVENT, callback, params)

#-------------#

As far as the image posted shows a few things working…

  1. 3rd Party packages are working. Not just duplicates of AGW as was the case bug with classic.
    Ex: User’s Widgets, Metallicows’s meh, wxPython Wiki
    All packages have an init.py and a demo.py. The package pyEmbeddedImage can be easily changed in demo.py with a small utility I will write.
    Basically all a user will have to do from initial install is to copy the clone_me dir in the demo directory to a new directory name, and edit from there. All handling of loading 3rd party packages installed(in the demo dir) could be handled better(possibly) in main.py
    Some various demos I have converted and updated from the wxPython Wiki shows this can be easily done also in the preview image.

  2. Top 5-10 officialy supported demo app(will work with run.py else work standalone), which will be voted on per catagory. Complete simple show apps(of which each will probably have it’s own source page as to keep things small/simple in the demo).
    Ex: TrailBlazer App
    Trim Trailing Whitespace App. So far…

rstripedText = ‘\n’.join([line.rstrip() for line in origText.split(‘\n’)])
is the current fastest benchmark with STC.
timeit
“”"
Eliminates/Removes all trailing/extra whitespace characters
from the end of each line in the whole document.

:param string text: Optionally pass some text to be returned.

=timeit Results===================================
timeitThisNumberTimes = 1000000
Test results are measured in seconds as a float.

def OnRemoveTrailingWhitespace
Python 2.7.5
repeat: [17.651515684607887, 17.508207714807128, 17.529062020949475]
Python 3.3.2
repeat: [15.44168775780605, 15.506561005974845, 15.525707034824123]

“”"

Ex: Catagory: Graphical/Games Apps. wxScreensaver / wxPytrix, SnakeyGoesWild. Classic Tetris/Snake grid-based remakes respectively. We need these to show users how much we can stress wxPython in real-time/benchmark/graphically. Apps code will follow timeit/other benchmarks rules for teaching performance handling with wxPython.

Comments, Ideas, More Ideas, Complaints are welcome here.

Thanks

11

Good work and ideas Metallicow.

I didn’t reread the whole thread so I hope this wasn’t already talked about. On points 3 and 4 about third party; 3rd party plugins might better be installed deliberately from a different source point. Primarily to protect the demo from 3rd party plugins that might come under fire from 4th party copyright infringement lawyers.

12

I’m assuming and checking for “wxPython/wxWidgets License” for anything involved in the updated Demo Version and “Official” version.
There might be an issue with some stuff in the wxPyWiki package stuff(Seperate package)(? @ Robin), but since those posters contributed to a “public knowledge base” especially designed for “wxPython”, then why wouldn’t the license be wxPython???
The basic purpose here is for learning and teaching.

Ex:
I can understand whatever that “one” company(ooooooooooopps got sued) using “FREE” nyanCat in a product without paying the author for it, based on the fact that they didn’t make commercial use of it, but they still owned the art.
…but ‘they(The Company)’ did, without permission or payment also. This type of behavior is not allowed, even by a company with $ and prestige.
PopTort(c)Cat got paid for his unlawful use by PopTort(c)Lawyers.

If any lawyer ever sues any product developer for unrightful use of wxPython Licensed Stuff, then the blame usually ultimately lands on the developer.
Usually this ends up as…
Someone claiming to have authored a work that they say is their own and is not so,
Not complying with keeping the copyright within the code/honoring the copyright,
Or having the “Same” name for a product “Trademark/Name” in the same “Catagory”, which leads to product confusion,
Not sticking to license terms,
etc…
which is quite understandable in most circumstances. Common Sense Rules Here, Normally.

Give Credit where it is due, even if in a mile long credits.txt for example.

Everything in the “wxPython Demos”, will be approved/overlooked by Robin or me/others so to meet these universally usable-by-everyone standards.
If a problem is found, then it will be promptly removed and handled in a sane manner.

[RANT]
After all, I believe it is time to offer FREE education in America. We all pay Taxs of some sort/Property Tax, so why not…?
F****** communist’s educate their slaves for free;
Half-Ass countries work their populous for education;
The best countries people educate their government.
Anarchist’s have a place somewhere inbetween all this far and inbetween.
See what it gets the general public worldwide. A better system to work with… without bullshit.
Enough with politics.
{/RANT}

Anyway, on with suggestions for “LEGALLY approved Demo stuff”. Consider contributing some educational material folks!
Thanks all.

Attached a pointy Example Demo Pic. Everything written here and attached (c) me of course since I didnt provide a watermark, which is standard in the printing industry. geez.

Cursor.png
Cursor.png557×378 10.6 KB

···

On Monday, October 14, 2013 8:51:32 PM UTC-5, DevPlayer wrote:

Good work and ideas Metallicow.

I didn’t reread the whole thread so I hope this wasn’t already talked about. On points 3 and 4 about third party; 3rd party plugins might better be installed deliberately from a different source point. Primarily to protect the demo from 3rd party plugins that might come under fire from 4th party copyright infringement lawyers.

13

Ok, some progress pics on the Old framework. see attachments.
… yep still beating the old bird into working right and fixing bugs and oversights.
@Robin: you may want to pay attention to how I did this if you might want the new framework to possibly one day still run a oldFramework file.
Ok. the method to this madness is…
There is a problem that the demo caught an exception.
At this point, we don’t know if it is a ligit error or whether it is a old demo framework oversight.
so, in the except block what we will do I’m thinking is this…
use py_compile if an error occured in the normal procedure and if it actually compiled, then show a panel with some message info, that the demo may not be formatted as to what the old demo framework is expecting,
but that py_compile found no syntax errors.
The button would then attempt to run the app file path normally with subprocess.Popen.
I noted that by doing this the app may not be running on the correct version of wxPython. This would be because you may have multiple versions installed and the actual app.py doesn’t have a wxversion.select line to tell it what to use, so it defaults to whatever wx.pth is
As in other mail/threads, robin has discussed a bit of what he would like the new framework for the new demo to become, and sounds promising as a advanced framework, that will hopefully fill all educational needs for noobs and advanced users alike.
One of the points brought up is the multiple examples for a widget idea which can be seen in one of the attached screenies.
Basically, I see there be a need for at least 3 types of demos for each “thing”.

  1. A minimal demo. This shows the widget at a bare minimum of code to make it work. classes probably won’t be found in these demos as they are intended to be short and sweet.
  2. An extended demo. This is the minimal demo done properly with everything classed out so code is easily copyable. The extended demos will show how all the methods in action are actually working.
  3. A showcase demo. This would be a real-world example/sample app/skeleton/etc… of using the widget that is professional, but serves as a boilerplate template code. No sillyness in the code for this one. Ex: The current AGW AUI framework demo(the big demo) would serve fine for a showcase demo.

As always, I keep striving to make the demos as educational and fun as possible, so that children/noobs have as little questions as possible, yet without losing their interest.
In the world of advertising, you need to capture the marks attention/interest in the first 10 seconds, then strive to keep that interest/focus.

This is my first step toward making the transition to the new framework(whenever robin/everyone decide on a keeper structure) as now I can work with at least both types of demo structures easily without failure.

oldFramework_running_regular_apps.png

circumference_cad_demo.png

14

Well, I have figured out a working walking folder structure with the framework and some demo.py and “magic”. See Attched Pic.
magic attributes integrated so far…:
doc
wxPyDemoPanel = ''TestPanelStr"
wxPyOnlineDocs = “urlStr”

I had to start classing everything out and refactor a bit of stuff to do this correctly, but it worked out well.
The only minor thing I broke that needs some attention is the demos search filter, which will be a bit of a trick if I where to lay a guess.

My error_handling package ExceptionHookDialog and ExceptionStrSTC works with the manual lauched files also.
After a few more tweaks and a switchable dev def so I can refactor all the demos right inside the demo in DEVMODE this proof of concept will have become a full reality.
Most all error are handled at the moment but there is still a bit to do overall in refactoring.

This iteration will actually handle all wxPython demos as I am working on injecting certain stuff such as wxversion into the manually run files also before run so multiple wxversion and xwx(cross-compatable) writing of code will be easily debuggable in app.

I also added a context help button in the statusbar with custom help popups, so that no matter where the user is, they can get some info on whatever they are interested in.

Woot. happy dance.
This is just the beginning tho… The iteration where everything is destroyed and rebuilt better just like the phoenix. Hopefully soon I will have a fully working model.
Then after this I will probably look into the EventsInStyle Docs app tab integration concept in a AUINotebook… maybe.

RE: TestStructure. Apparently test sheep fly in a V formation also. LOL. Maybe I should make a piggy icon, so when pigs fly… :slight_smile:

__demo__pySubFolderStructure.png

15

On GitHub/Phoenix:

Issue: New Demo Framework

@RobinD42 @wernerfb

Now that there is an Phoenix Alpha…
Here is my hacked up version of the demo. This broke many things(like file searching) while I worked (wrye bash style)Directory structuring into it so submitted packages would be easy. Not all of the vanilla demos have been ported yet.
https://github.com/Metallicow/wxPython-Sample-Apps-and-Demos
P.S. I even ran the whole PyQT/PySide demo thru it… LOL

Werner had one too that incorporated Andrea’s Events in style/docs app.
[LINKY]

Robin said he was going to rewrite the demo framework…
…so part mine + werners + robins + community = new hacked up demo framework.

@Community
Feel free to submit your Ideas for the new demo framework.